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Prosecution and defense present closing arguments at Kosovo Specialist Chambers
The final phase of the trial that is taking place at the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague against former KLA leaders begins on Monday.
At this stage, the Specialized Prosecutor's Office, the defense teams and the defendants themselves will present their positions and final arguments to the trial panel. The trial includes former leaders of the Kosovo Liberation Army, Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, Jakup Krasniqi and Rexhep Selimi.
The prosecution has filed charges against the four defendants, which they have denied, considering them unfounded. The defense has also opposed the indictment, emphasizing that the KLA did not function with a structured chain of command and that the alleged criminal offenses have not been proven.
The Specialist Chambers have announced that confirmations of attendance at the closing hearings have been sent to all accredited persons. The hearings will take place from 9 to 13 February at the court premises in The Hague.
Interest in following the process has been high, but the gallery's capacity for the public has been limited, which has meant that not all applicants have received confirmation. The sessions will also be broadcast online, in Albanian, English and Serbian, with a 45-minute delay.
Thaçi, Veseli, Krasniqi and Selimi have been in detention in The Hague since November 2020. The trial began on April 3, 2023, about three years after the indictment was confirmed, and has had wide public resonance inside and outside Kosovo.
Over the past year, several protests have been held in various cities in support of the defendants, while another rally has been announced in Pristina on the anniversary of Kosovo's declaration of independence.
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