In the Hague specialized rooms continued today, October 1, the testimony of former American official James Peter Covey, who served as the main deputy of the UN special representative in Kosovo during 1999–2001, UNMIK, Bernard Kouchner.
Covey stated that former Kosovo President Hashim Thaci had no connection with the prosecution’s allegations of criminal activity of the Kosovo Liberation Army.
“My statement relates to our assessments of the role that Thaci has played, whether specified or real, in relation to the incidents mentioned. It reflects our judgment on the authority he has exercised on individuals who have been accused of these crimes. In my opinion, none of these activities are directly related to Mr. Thaci,” Covey said.
During the hearing, the prosecution submitted a document alleged that at the end of June 1999, KLA members killed about 100 civilians, mainly Serbs. In response, Covey said that these allegations have never been established and documented by him:
“This document has never been presented to me before. Those described there were ‘something that everyone knew’. But I was not involved in the process of documenting concrete and individual cases.”
Covey’s testimony comes as part of the litigation against Thaci and other former KLA leaders who are charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Former US Secretary of State James Rubin, former legal adviser to the Kosovo team in Rambouillet, as well as former British diplomat John Duncan, have also testified earlier in defense of Thaci.
