The defense team of Jakup Krasniqi will continue presenting its closing arguments today at the Specialized Chambers of Kosovo in The Hague.
Led by attorney Venkateswari Alagendra, the defense began its final submissions on Friday afternoon, according to KosovaPress. Alagendra emphasized that her client has been unjustly deprived of his freedom for five years. She stated that there is only one viable outcome: Krasniqi must be acquitted on all counts and returned to his family.
The defense has 90 minutes to conclude its closing arguments. Afterwards, the panel of judges will spend two hours asking questions to both parties, followed by the Special Prosecutor’s Office’s rebuttal.
The other three former KLA leaders—Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, and Rexhep Selimi—will deliver their closing arguments on Wednesday, with each given 20 minutes.
This marks the final phase of the largest trial conducted at the Specialized Chambers in The Hague.
Special Prosecutor Kimberly West has requested 45 years imprisonment for each of the former KLA leaders. The defense teams of Thaçi, Veseli, Selimi, and Krasniqi have requested that all four be acquitted on all charges, arguing that there is no evidence supporting the SPO’s claims of war crimes.
The trial began on 3 April 2023, nearly three years after the indictment was confirmed, during which the former KLA leaders have been held at the detention center in The Hague.
