The first defense witness testified at the Kosova Specialist Chambers.

James Rubin, former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State during the Kosova war, gave evidence in defense of former Kosova President Hashim Thaçi.

He became the first defense witness for Thaçi, whose legal team planned to call around 11 witnesses. The trial was expected to continue with witnesses summoned by the defense of former Kosova Assembly Speaker Jakup Krasniqi.

Alongside Thaçi and Krasniqi, former Assembly Speaker Kadri Veseli and former MP Rexhep Selimi faced trial. Their lawyers did not plan to present defense evidence. The Specialist Prosecutor’s Office charged them with alleged war crimes and claimed they were part of a “joint criminal enterprise.”

Thaçi, Veseli, Krasniqi, and Selimi pleaded not guilty to all charges.

The defense presented evidence four months after the Specialist Prosecutor’s Office concluded its case, which included 125 live witnesses and over 130 written statements. The defense denied the accusations and argued that the KLA lacked an organized command structure.

The indictment against the former KLA leaders became public in autumn 2020. Since then, they remained in pretrial detention in Scheveningen, The Hague. The trial began in April 2023. Judges expected the defense to submit final filings by 22 December 2025.

Meanwhile, on 14 September, Albanians from around the world gathered in The Hague at 14:00 to show support for the former KLA leaders.

Following the protest, Prime Minister Edi Rama emphasized that justice was the sole demand. He highlighted the need for fairness for Kosova and its liberators.

The protest, organized by the Albanian diaspora and supported by the KLA Veterans Organization (OVL-KLA), united Albanians from multiple countries in solidarity.

/a.p./