Another American witness will appear in the Specialized Chambers in The Hague to testify in defense of the former president of Kosovo, Hashim Thaçi, who is facing charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
According to the documents submitted to the Special Court, former NATO general Wesley Clark, who led the 78-day bombing campaign against Serbian forces in 1999, will be part of Thaçi’s defense witnesses.
Thaçi’s defense states that it has also received official authorization from the government of the United States of America, which allows former general Clark to give his testimony.
“In accordance with the order of the Trial Chamber dated September 2, 2025, the defense of Mr. Hashim Thaçi announces that it has received the authorization from the government of the United States of America that allows the statement and testimony of its last witness, General Wesley Clark,” the document states.
Before Clark, several former high-ranking American officials also testified in Thaçi’s defense, including James Peter Covey, who during the years 1999-2001 served as the chief deputy of the UN special representative in Kosovo, UNMIK, Bernard Kouchner, testified James Rubin, the former assistant to the US Secretary of State and chief spokesman of the State Department during the years 1997-2000, as well as American lawyer Paul Williams, adviser to the Kosovo delegation during the 1999 negotiations.
For 5 years, the former leaders of the KLA, Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, Jakup Krasniqi and Rexhep Selimi, have been in custody in The Hague and the judicial process is ongoing against them. They are accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity, charges that all four have denied.
