Closing statements begin in war crimes trial for Kosovo ex-president

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Closing statements begin in war crimes trial for Kosovo ex-president

2026-02-09 18:41 Last Updated At：18:50

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Prosecutors said on Monday there is “overwhelming evidence” that Kosovo’s former president and three other defendants are guilty of the murder and torture of people they considered traitors during the country’s war for independence.

Hashim Thaci resigned from office in 2020 to defend himself against the 10 charges of crimes against humanity and war crimes committed during his country’s 1998-99 war for independence from Serbia at a tribunal in The Hague.

Prosecutor Kimberly West told judges that witnesses and victims “so yearned for the truth to come out” that they were willing to risk a “climate of intimidation” to testify at the Kosovo Specialist Chambers, which is based in the Netherlands but is part of Kosovo’s legal system.

The staff at the European Union-backed court are largely international due to fears about witness safety and security. In 2022, the court convicted two leaders of a Kosovo war veterans’ association for intimidating witnesses by publicizing leaked confidential documents.

A second trial for Thaci for intimidating witnesses will begin later this month.

Those who testified provided “overwhelming evidence” that Thaci and his fellow accused, Kadri Veseli, Rexhep Selimi and Jakup Krasniq, pursued a policy of targeting political opponents and civilians perceived as collaborators and traitors as commanders of the Kosovo Liberation Army.

Each is charged with offenses including murder, torture and persecution allegedly committed across Kosovo and northern Albania from 1998 to September 1999, during and after the war.

Prosecutors have asked for a 45-year sentence for all four men.

“I am fully not guilty,” Thaci, who went by the nickname The Snake during the war, said when the trial opened in 2023. The other three defendants also repeated not guilty pleas made at earlier pretrial hearings.

Thaci was a student who came out of what he described as political exile in Switzerland to join Kosovo’s struggle for independence from Serbia. He was embraced by Western leaders, who invited him to 1999 peace talks in France in his role as political director of the Kosovo Liberation Army, and was seen as a leader who could guide the country toward independence.

Many Kosovars consider the court an injustice and view it as an attempt to rewrite their history, saying it’s trying to equalize Serbia’s genocide to their suffering.

Most of the 13,000 people who died in the 1998-1999 war in Kosovo were ethnic Albanians. A 78-day campaign of NATO airstrikes against Serbian forces ended the fighting. About 1 million ethnic Albanian Kosovars were driven from their homes.

Trump says he is 'not happy' with the Iran nuclear talks but indicates he'll give them more time

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday he's “not happy” with the latest talks over Iran's nuclear program but indicated he would give negotiators more time to reach a deal to avert another war in the Middle East.

He spoke a day after U.S. envoys held another inconclusive round of indirect talks with Iran in Geneva. As American forces gather in the region, Trump has threatened military action if Iran does not agree to a far-reaching deal on its nuclear program, while Iran insists it has the right to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes and denies seeking a nuclear weapon.

“I’m not happy with the fact that they’re not willing to give us what we have to have. I’m not thrilled with that. We’ll see what happens. We’re talking later,” Trump told reporters as he left the White House on Friday. “We’re not exactly happy with the way they’re negotiating. They cannot have nuclear weapons."

Trump was asked about the risks of the U.S. getting involved in a drawn-out conflict if it strikes Iran.

“I guess you could say there’s always a risk,” Trump replied. “You know, when there’s war, there’s a risk of anything, both good and bad.”

Later Friday as he visited Texas, Trump sounded more pessimistic, telling reporters that Iranian negotiators "don’t want to quite go far enough. It’s too bad.”

He reiterated that he did not want to see Iran be allowed to enrich any amount of uranium and said the oil-rich nation should not need to enrich uranium for an energy program.

When asked by a reporter how close he was to making a decision on whether to launch a military strike, he said, “I’d rather not tell you.”

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio plans to make a quick trip to Israel early next week, the State Department said. The U.S. Embassy in Israel had earlier urged staff who want to leave to depart, joining other nations in encouraging people to leave the region and signaling that U.S. military action might be imminent.

The announcement of Rubio's visit, and Trump's latest remarks, could indicate a longer timeline for any potential strike.

The State Department said Rubio would visit Israel on Monday and Tuesday to “discuss a range of regional priorities including Iran, Lebanon, and ongoing efforts to implement President Trump’s 20-Point Peace Plan for Gaza.” It offered no other details.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has long urged tougher U.S. action against Iran, and has warned that Israel will respond to any Iranian attack.

A confidential report from the U.N. nuclear watchdog meanwhile confirmed that Iran has not offered inspectors access to sensitive nuclear sites since they were heavily bombed during the 12-day war launched by Israel last June. As a result, it said it could not confirm Iran's claims that it stopped uranium enrichment after the U.S. and Israeli strikes.

The report was circulated to member countries and seen by The Associated Press.

The announcement of Rubio's visit came just hours after the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem implemented “authorized departure” status for nonessential personnel and family members, which means that eligible staffers can leave the country voluntarily at government expense.

In an email, U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee urged staff considering departure to do so quickly, advising them to focus on getting any flight out of Israel and to then make their way to Washington.

“Those wishing to take AD should do so TODAY,” Huckabee wrote, using an acronym for “authorized departure.”

“While there may be outbound flights over the coming days, there may not be,” he added. The email was recounted to The Associated Press by someone involved with the U.S. mission who wasn't authorized to share details.

On a town-hall meeting Friday after the email was sent, Huckabee told staff that he was encouraging airlines to keep flying.

Iran and the United States on Thursday walked away from another round of nuclear negotiations in Geneva without a deal. Technical discussions are scheduled to take place in Vienna next week.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Thursday said “what needs to happen has been clearly spelled out from our side,” without offering specifics. Iran has long demanded relief from heavy international sanctions in return for taking steps to limit but not end its nuclear program.

Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi, who has been mediating the talks, met Friday with U.S. Vice President JD Vance to discuss the negotiations.

“I am grateful for their engagement and look forward to further and decisive progress in the coming days,” al-Busaidi posted on X. “Peace is within our reach.”

Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, meanwhile met with Christopher Yeaw, a U.S. arms control official. Grossi posted on X that the two men had a “timely exchange on current non-proliferation issues, including in Iran and other areas of common interest.”

The U.N. chief urged Iran and the U.S. “to focus on the diplomatic track.”

“We’re seeing both positive messages coming out of the diplomatic tracks, which we’re continuing to encourage,” U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres said, according to his spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric.

“We’re also seeing very worrying military movements throughout the region, which is extremely concerning as well.”

The U.S. has gathered a massive fleet of aircraft and warships in the Middle East, with one aircraft carrier already in place and another heading to the region. Iran says it will respond to any U.S. attack by targeting American forces in the region, potentially including those stationed in U.S. bases in allied Arab countries.

Airlines such as Netherlands-based KLM have already announced plans to suspend flights out of Tel Aviv's Ben-Gurion International Airport, and other embassies have also made plans for authorized departures from Israel and neighboring countries.

Britain’s Foreign Office said that “due to the security situation, U.K. staff have been temporarily withdrawn from Iran.” It said the embassy was operating remotely.

In Israel, the U.K. said Friday it moved some diplomatic staff and their families from Tel Aviv to another, unspecified location in Israel “as a precautionary measure.” In an update to its travel advice, the Foreign Office advises against “all but essential travel” to Israel.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Thursday the U.K. was focused on “supporting the political process” between Washington and Tehran.

Germany‘s Foreign Ministry meanwhile advised urgently against travel to Israel.

Australia on Wednesday “directed the departure of all dependents of Australian officials posted to Israel in response to the deteriorating security situation in the Middle East.” China, India and several European countries with missions in Iran have advised citizens to avoid travel to the country.

China's Foreign Ministry also advised its citizens already in Iran to leave, according to a statement reported by Chinese state media.

Price and Lee reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Sam Metz in Ramallah, West Bank, Seung Min Kim in Washington, Stephanie Liechtenstein in Vienna, Farnoush Amiri at the United Nations, Kareem Chehayeb in Beirut and Pangiotis Pylas in London contributed to this report.