Thaci

WASHINGTON - Former US presidential envoy for the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue Richard Grenell said Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic's good management of a crisis generated by Pristina's extremist leader Albin Kurti had helped the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) win Sunday's elections in Serbia.

They are accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
So far, seven prosecution witnesses have been heard in the trial against the leader of the former KLA. They are accused of murder, persecution and torture.
All four defendants pleaded not guilty to any of the counts of the indictment.

However, in what is seen as an attempt to make the proceedings more efficient and limit costs, because hundreds of victims are expected to participate in the trials at the Kosovo Specialist Chambers, the court has not given the victims the right to choose their own legal representatives.

Throughout the opening day on Monday, Albanians wearing the traditional plis cap or T-shirts emblazoned with the words "Liria ka emer" ("Freedom has a name") made their voices heard in the Dutch city as opening statements were delivered in the trial of Thaci and his wartime comrades turned politicians, Kadri Veseli, Jakup Krasniqi and Rexhep Selimi.

"President Thaci and these gentlemen were freedom fighters trying to liberate Kosovo from a terrible situation that they were suffering for decades from the Serb regime and during the course of this trial we are going to demonstrate that," Kehoe said.

On trial alongside Thaci will be Kadri Veseli, a former Kosovo parliamentary speaker and leader of Kosovo Democratic Party, PDK, Jakup Krasniqi, the chairman of the national council of the Social Democratic Initiative, NISMA party, and Rexhep Selimi, who was the head of the Vetevendosje party's parliamentary group of MPs at the time of his arrest.

President Milo Djukanovic at a press conference in Cetinje, Montenegro. Photo: EPA-EFE/BORIS PEJOVIC

On November 13, BIRN has published theTaci's wiretapped conversations in which the Albanian businessman said he had involved Djukanovic in money transfers to Montenegro's Prva Bank.

A poster in Pristina in July 2020 describing Thaci and Veseli as heroes. Photo: EPA-EFE/VALDRIN XHEMAJ.

"By taking these actions, Thaci and Veseli have put their personal interests ahead of the victims of their crimes, the rule of law, and all people of Kosovo," the prosecution said in a statement.

But President Thaci resigned in November after being indicted for war crimes and crimes against humanity by the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague, raising questions about whether or not others will carry forward the initiative to set up the committee.

Artan Murati, an adviser to Kosovo's acting president, Vjosa Osmani, said that the issue has not been discussed yet.