The Special Court in The Hague has rejected the majority of evidence presented by Jakup Krasniqi’s defense that documented Serbian crimes in Kosovo, ruling that such evidence is irrelevant to the trial of UÇK leaders, including Hashim Thaçi, Jakup Krasniqi, Kadri Veseli, and Salih Selimi.
According to the decision obtained by Nacionale, the judges stated that there was no proven connection between the indictment and evidence of Serbian-perpetrated crimes in Kosovo.
“The Panel first notes that it has previously ruled that evidence of alleged crimes by Serbian forces is generally irrelevant to the charges against the accused. The defense has also failed to show that the incidents described are linked to the indictment or the actions of the UÇK in a relevant time or place,” the ruling states.
Key Evidence Rejected
- Proposed Evidence 11: Included BBC footage documenting Serbian crimes. The court ruled that only short segments showing UÇK involvement in investigations could be considered relevant, while the footage of Serbian crimes was deemed irrelevant.
- Proposed Evidence 15: Related to the relationship between the UÇK and the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK). Judges found that it did not demonstrate relevance to the charges against the accused.
- Proposed Evidence 18 and 19: Covered post-war conditions and the return of refugees in Kosovo. The court found no direct connection to the indictments, and thus rejected them.
Evidence Partially Accepted
- Proposed Evidence 16: While primarily documenting Serbian crimes, the court allowed this evidence only insofar as it could inform conclusions about UÇK policy toward specific categories of individuals, rather than for proving Serbian crimes themselves.
The Special Court’s decision largely aligns with the request of the Hague Prosecution, which earlier sought to exclude evidence of Serbian-perpetrated crimes from the trial.
This ruling means that the defense’s attempt to contextualize UÇK actions as responses to Serbian crimes in Kosovo was largely dismissed, limiting the scope of evidence in the ongoing trial.
