The former President of Kosovo, Hashim Thaçi, did not declare again regarding the accusations of obstruction of justice, while emphasizing that it is not an obstacle nor does it pose a danger to anyone in Kosovo in a political sense.
He made the comments on Tuesday during a hearing of the Hague-based Special Court for War Crimes on the progress of the case against him and others on charges of obstruction of justice.
Mr. Thaçi called for, as he said, the necessity of respecting the laws of Kosovo in the judicial process in The Hague.
"Disobeying the Constitution and the laws of Kosovo and other legal norms by the parties in this hall of justice represents a risk of undermining democracy in Kosovo, represents a risk of violating the trust of citizens, therefore I invite everyone to maintain institutional restraint in this hall", said Mr. Thaçi.
Even the former head of the Detection Agency Bashkim Smakaj, chose again not to declare about the accusations against him.
The judge of the initial session announced that the parties have until January 7 to declare the charges against them.
The Specialized Prosecutor's Office announced at the beginning of December that it has filed an indictment against Hashim Thaçi, Bashkim Smakaj, Isni Kilaj and Fadil Fazliu, for attempting to obstruct officials in the performance of their official duties and disobedience to the court, as well as for the former minister of Justice, Hajredin Kuçi, for disobeying the court.
The indictment claims that Hashim Thaçi coordinated three separate groups, formed with the other three accused as well as with Mr. Kuçi, with the aim of influencing the testimonies of the witnesses.
The former president of Kosovo, Hashim Thaçi, is now facing two court proceedings, including the one under charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
The Office of the Specialized Prosecutor in The Hague: Haxhi Shala and Sabit Januzi plead guilty to witness intimidation
The Office of the Specialized Prosecutor at the Hague Court announced today that the former commander of the Kosovo Liberation Army Haxhi Shala and Sabit Januzi have pleaded guilty to charges related to witness intimidation and obstruction of official persons in the performance of official duties.
The plea agreement between the prosecutor's office and the defendant's defense must be approved by the court before it can take effect, and the hearing on the matter is expected to be held on Wednesday, December 18.
The indictment stated that Haxhi Shala, in collaboration with other individuals, including Sabit Januzi and Ismet Bahtijari, encouraged the witness to withdraw his testimony, or not to testify in the official proceedings before the Specialized Chambers of Kosovo, among which through grave threat or promise of benefits".
In October 2023, the Specialized Chambers arrested Ismet Bahtjar and Sabit Januzi, on suspicion of obstructing justice and intimidating a witness. VOA (A2 Televizion)
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