Jakup Krasniqi’s lawyer: The appeal is expected to conclude the procedure within 12 months

Mentor Beqiri, the lawyer for Jakup Krasniqi, stated that the defense expects the appeal procedure to conclude within 12 months. He expressed confidence that the first-instance verdict will not be upheld.

During the show “Debat Plus,” Beqiri said the defense team is fully convinced that the first-instance decision will be overturned.

“I believe we will finish faster than twelve months. But it can be sped up even more. We 100 percent believe and are convinced that this verdict cannot be confirmed by any trial panel,” Beqiri declared.

According to him, this conviction is not only related to the Court of Appeal, but also to any possible assessment by the international legal community.

“This verdict cannot be confirmed by any trial panel, whether the Court of Appeal, but we do not believe that anyone from the international legal community can confirm it either,” he said.

The lawyer also spoke about the organization and functioning of the Specialist Chambers, mentioning the first instance, second instance, third instance, and the Constitutional Chamber.

Beqiri said that the principles of two-tier and three-tier jurisdiction apply in this system. However, he considered the existence of a president in the structure of the Specialist Chambers “a bit strange.”

“Of course, the principle of two-tier and three-tier jurisdiction applies, but it is a bit strange to me how there can be two-tier and three-tier jurisdiction when you have a president or a head leader of this tribunal,” Beqiri said.

He emphasized that the Appeal judges must review the first-instance decision and correct any possible errors identified in it.

“The members of the trial panel at the second instance have the obligation to correct all the errors that have been identified in the first-instance verdict, which for us are numerous,” Beqiri concluded.