In the Specialized Chambers of Kosovo in The Hague, the Office of the Specialized Prosecutor (ZPS) has requested prison sentences for the five accused in the trial for criminal offenses against the administration of justice. In the final word, the Prosecution requested that Hashim Thaçi be sentenced to 6 years imprisonment, 3 years imprisonment for Bashkim Smakaj, 3 years for Isni Kilaj, 3 years for Fadil Fazliu and 9 months imprisonment for Hajredin Kuçi.
“Based on all the evidence, the facts, the Prosecution requests that you make a decision that complies with the law, the evidence and the facts. So, guilty of all counts of the indictment, based on the seriousness of the criminal offenses and the totality of the factors that are taken into account in the punishment applicable in this case”declared the ZPS in the final speech. The prosecution repeated the request for concrete punishments for each of the accused, requesting 9 months of imprisonment for Kuci, 3 years for Fazliu, Kilaj and Smakaj, as well as 6 years of imprisonment for Thaci.
As for the former president of Kosovo, the SPS has asked for Hashim Thaçi 6 years in prison “to be served following any sentence that may be given in case 6, if it is given”.
“The prosecution requests that you give a decision as requested; for Kuči 9 months imprisonment, for Fazli 3 years imprisonment, Kilaj 3 years imprisonment, Smakaj 3 years imprisonment and Thaçi 6 years imprisonment, which will be imposed following any sentence that may be given in case 6, if it is given”said the Prosecutor’s Office.
During the final statements in The Hague, the Specialized Prosecution argued that Thaçi and the other co-accused have interfered with the witnesses and tried to influence their testimonies. Prosecutor Joshua Hafetz relied on audio recordings and documents administered as evidence, stating that they show, according to the Prosecution, attempts to influence witnesses. Hafetz said that as part of the court case, about 28 hours of recordings of Hashim Thaçi, made during nine separate visits, in a period of four months, have been accepted. “The co-accused, old friends of Hashim Thaçi, each of them joined Mr. Said in this action”Hafetz declared.
According to the Prosecution, the goal of Thaçi and the co-accused was to influence the witnesses selected by him.
“What was important for Thaçi and the co-accused is that the witnesses that Thaçi had chosen for intervention should say and do what Thaçi wanted.” said the prosecutor.
Hafetz also criticized the way the defense has presented its arguments during the process, claiming that it has avoided the facts that, according to him, emerge from the materials administered as evidence.
“All the comments of the defense from the beginning have avoided reality, this simple reality. So, they diverted the Court’s attention from these facts before its eyes. In other words, they constantly distracted the Court. The Defense wants this Court to bury its head in the sand and not see what is in front of its eyes”, said Hafetz. He said that the content of the recordings makes it impossible, according to him, for the facts to be hidden, since the activity for which Thaçi is accused was recorded inside the detention center in The Hague.
“The content of the recordings is shocking for Thaçi and the co-accused. The reason is that visit after visit, Thaçi has spoken in a normal voice about everyday topics and then lowered his voice and whispered to give concrete instructions on what the visitors should say to the witnesses. He has done this for months and his instructions had a similar practice; to dilute the charges in case 06“, he declared.
