Jakup Krasniqi’s lead lawyer, Venkateswari Alagendra, said that the defense was disappointed with the judgment handed down by the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague and would challenge it through an appeal.
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Following the announcement of the decision, Alagendra said that the important evidence presented during the trial had not been properly analyzed or had not been given the weight it deserved.
“It is now clear that we will appeal this judgment. Our position is that the only proper outcome, based on the evidence, was for Jakup Krasniqi to be found not guilty of all charges,” she said.
She also recalled Krasniqi’s age, as he is nearly 76, as well as the lengthy period he has spent in pretrial detention during these proceedings.
According to the lawyer, during more than two years of trial, no witness said that they had been mistreated by Krasniqi or that anything of the kind had happened in his presence. Alagendra added that international witnesses and prosecution witnesses from Kosovo had given positive assessments of his character and conduct.
Alagendra stressed that Jakup Krasniqi has spent a total of 16 years in prison or pretrial detention. This period includes around 10 years under Slobodan Milošević’s regime and nearly six years because of the case being heard in The Hague.
The lawyer said that Krasniqi remains proud of the war for the new Kosovo created in 1999 and believes that future generations should value the freedoms that have been achieved.
In conclusion, she announced that the defense team would examine the possibilities for an appeal and the use of other legal remedies. Alagendra also conveyed Krasniqi’s thanks to the citizens of Kosovo, who supported him and placed their trust in him throughout the proceedings.
