The trial of former Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) leaders Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, Rexhep Selimi, and Jakup Krasniqi continues today at the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague, with American diplomat Jock Covey back on the stand.
Covey, who served as deputy to UN Special Representative Bernard Kouchner in Kosovo between 1999 and 2001, faced questions from the prosecution after responding to Thaçi’s defense on Tuesday.
During his testimony, Covey described the KLA not as a centralized army but as a movement, with local commanders exercising wide autonomy. “They thought they could do whatever they decided in their own area. That was our understanding,” he said.
Asked about Thaçi’s role, Covey testified that UNMIK never treated Thaçi as KLA’s commander, nor as someone who issued military orders. Although a document signed by Thaçi as “KLA General Commander” was shown in court—addressed to Kouchner regarding the disarmament agreement—Covey clarified it was seen as a political move, not evidence of actual command authority.
Covey also recalled UNMIK’s efforts to integrate former KLA fighters into the Kosovo Police and the challenges of persuading more radical elements to join new security structures. He stressed that no clear command chain existed, with many independent commanders in the field and an often strained relationship between them and Thaçi.
According to Thaçi’s lawyer, Luka Mishetiq, the testimony confirms that Thaçi lacked real authority over the KLA and was not in a position to order or prevent violence during the summer of 1999.
