New indictment against Thaci, Veseli, Krasniqi and Selimi: They are accused of a number of crimes

Photo montage: Tanjug/AP, kosovo-online.com

The Office of the Specialist Prosecutor has submitted to the Specialist Chambers for the crimes committed by the KLA a new, amended indictment against former KLA leaders Hashim Thaci, Kadri Veseli, Jakup Krasniqi and Rexhep Selimi, Gazeta Express reports.

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Prosecutor Jack Smith has included in the new indictment, which was submitted to the Specialist Chambers on Friday, several crimes committed in Suva Reka and Gnjilane, for which former KLA ("Kosovo Liberation Army") political and military leaders stand accused, and the new indictment is less confidential and has fewer parts, said Gazeta, referring to the reporting of the Pristina portal Paparaci.

As in the previous indictment, the new, amended one has the Prosecution accusing Thaci, Veseli, Krasniqi and Selimi of murder, torture, inhumane treatment and illegal detention, reports Tanjug.

"KLA members detained at least 12 people without due process, held them in custody at locations such as Budakovo and Semetiste, at various times between July 3, 1998 and April 29, 1999. On July 4, a person was driving in a pickup truck when they were stopped by three men, who were wearing black uniforms and carrying automatic rifles. A third person in uniform arrived and stood in front of a rocket launcher. They put three persons in the trunk of a vehicle and drove them to a house in Budakovo. The three were placed in the basement and then beaten," reads the new part of the indictment, as reported by Kosovo Online.

The amended version of the indictment also includes murders allegedly committed in Budakovo and Semetiste.

The bodies of the victims were found around August 23, 1998, with traces of weapons belonging to that person, thus "proving the intention to kill them, i.e., to intentionally injure them," reports Gazeta Express, which refers to the website paparaci.com.

According to the indictment, similar crimes were committed at the student dormitory in Gnjilane in some cases, for which the Prosecution holds Thaci and others responsible. Former KLA leaders have been charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The indictment charges Thaci, Veseli, Krasniqi and Selimi with a number of crimes committed in several detention centers during 1998 and 1999. The Specialized Prosecutor's Office accuses them of knowing of the crimes or that they should have known about them. They have been in the custody of the Specialist Chambers since November 2020, according to Kosovo Online.

The website of the Specialist Chambers based in The Hague announced on Friday that the amended indictment in this case was submitted to the parties as confidential.

(Telegraf.rs)