• Case number
    KSC-BC-2020-05/KSC-CA-2023-02/KSC-SC-2024-02
    Case status
    Salih Mustafa was the Commander of a BIA guerrilla unit, which operated within the Llap Operational Zone of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA). The trial took place from 15 September 2021 to 15 September 2022. The trial judgment was pronounced on 16 December 2022, finding Mustafa guilty of war crimes of arbitrary detention, torture, and murder, resulting in a 26-year prison sentence. On 5 April 2023, the Trial Panel ordered Mustafa to pay an overall sum of €207,000 as compensation for the harm inflicted on the participating victims of the crimes for which he is convicted. On 14 December 2023, the Court of Appeals Panel reduced his sentence to 22 years of imprisonment. After a Supreme Court ruling on 29 July 2024, the case was sent back to the Appeals Panel to reconsider the sentence. On 10 September 2024, the Court of Appeals Panel imposed a new single sentence of 15 years, with credit for time served. There were eight participating victims in this case.
  • Case number
    KSC-BC-2020-04/KSC-CA-2024-03
    Case status
    Pjetër Shala was allegedly a member of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) stationed in Kukёs, Albania. The alleged crimes with which Shala is charged took place between approximately 17 May 1999 and 5 June 1999 against persons detained at the Kukёs Metal Factory in Albania, allegedly used by the KLA. On 21 September 2022, the Pre-Trial Judge transmitted the case file to Trial Panel I. The trial commenced on 21 February 2023 and ended on 17 April 2024. The trial judgment was pronounced on 16 July 2024. The Trial Panel found P. Shala guilty of the war crimes of arbitrary detention, torture and murder and sentenced him to a prison sentence of 18 years, with credit for time served. On 2 September 2024, P. Shala filed his notice of appeal against the trial judgment. The reparation order in respect of victims was pronounced on 29 November 2024. The Panel ordered P. Shala to pay a sum of €208,000 as compensation for the physical, mental and material harm inflicted on the victims of the crimes for which he was convicted. The appeal judgment was pronounced on 14 July 2025. The Appeals Panel affirmed Shala’s conviction for the war crimes of arbitrary detention (count 1), torture (count 3), and murder (count 4). However, the Appeals Panel also granted in part three of the fourteen grounds raised by Shala in his appeal, dismissing the remaining grounds raised by Shala, and reducing his sentence from 18 to 13 years of imprisonment, with credit for time served. There are eight participating victims in this case.
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