The defense of Thaqi,Veseli,Krasniqi and Selimi is expected to request an extension of the deadline to finish presenting witnesses and to submit its preliminary case file. November 14 had initially been set as the deadline to conclude witness hearings, while December 22 was set for the submission of the final case file.
Following the testimony of Jock Covey on Thursday, October 2, Hashim Thaçi’s lead counsel, Luka Mishetiq, stated that the defense will seek more time.
“After consulting with the other members of the defense, it will not be possible for us to conclude by November 14 and to submit the other necessary motions as well as the final case file by December 22. Therefore, we expect to make a joint request to extend this deadline. Before doing so, I should note that we have already spoken with the prosecution and will consult further to try to reach an agreement before submitting our formal request for an extension,” Mishetiq said.
Kadri Veseli’s defense lawyer, Rodney Dixon, also raised concerns about the timelines.
“There remain a number of appeals that need to be addressed in the context of the joint evidence and in relation to what will ultimately be admitted. I refer specifically to appeals concerning forensic analysis, wiretaps, and witnesses. All of these must be taken into account when setting a realistic timeline,” Dixon emphasized.
The presentation of the defense’s evidence began on September 15. Thaçi’s defense has planned to call 11 witnesses in total, followed by two additional witnesses to be presented by Jakup Krasniqi’s defense.
So far, the court has heard the testimonies of former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State James Rubin, former legal adviser to the Kosovo team at Rambouillet Paul Williams, former British diplomat John Stewart Duncan, and Jock Covey, the deputy to UN representative Bernard Kouchner in 1999.
Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, Jakup Krasniqi, and Rexhep Selimi face charges of alleged war crimes. They have been held in pre-trial detention since November 2020.
