Sabit Januzi & Ismet Bahtijari & Haxhi Shala

	According to the indictment, Sabit Januzi is a Kosovar national born in Bërvenik/Brvenik, Kosovo.
	According to the indictment, Ismet Bahtijari is a Kosovar national born in Fushticë e Poshtme/ Donja Fuštica, Kosovo.
	According to the indictment, Haxhi Shala is a Kosovar national born in Banje, Malisheve, Kosovo.

INDICTMENT HISTORY

The indictment against Januzi and Bahtijari (case number KSC-BC-2023-10) was confirmed on 2 October 2023 and was made public on 6 October 2023. The indictment against Haxhi Shala (case number KSC-BC-2023-11) was confirmed on 4 December 2023 and was made public on 12 December 2023. 

On 12 January 2024, following its request for the joinder of these two cases, the SPO filed a proposed joint indictment but the Pre-Trial Judge on 8 February 2024 ordered the SPO to resubmit it. In the meantime, the joint case will proceed on the basis of the currently confirmed indictments in the two cases, namely the indictment confirmed on 2 October 2023 for the case KSC-BC-2023-10 and the indictment confirmed on 4 December 2023 for the case KSC-BC-2023-11.

Summary of charges

According to the currently confirmed indictments, "Witness 1" is a person who has or is likely to provide information to the Special Investigative Task Force, SPO, and/or to any KSC Panel about any crimes or offences falling under KSC jurisdiction. The indictments state that between at least 5 April 2023 and 12 April 2023, Shala, in co-perpetration with other individuals, including Sabit Januzi and Ismet Bahtijari, coordinated as a group before and after in-person approaches made to Witness 1 by Januzi and Bahtijari.

The indictments further state that, upon instructions from Haxhi Shala, Januzi and Bahtijari individually met with Witness 1 on two separate occasions in order to induce him to withdraw evidence or refrain from providing evidence in official proceedings before the Kosovo Specialist Chambers, including by use of serious threat and the promise of a benefit.

The charges are the following:

TWO COUNTS OF CRIMINAL OFFENCES AGAINST PUBLIC ORDER

• Obstructing official persons in performing official duties (Count 1 and Count 2)

One COUNT OF CRIMINAL OFFENCES AGAINST THE ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE AND PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

• Intimidation during criminal proceedings (Count 3)

LINK TO THE OPERATIVE INDICTMENT (KSC-BC-2023-10) 

LINK TO THE OPERATIVE INDICTMENT (KSC-BC-2023-11) 

PROCEDURAL DEVELOPMENTS

• Sabit Januzi and Ismet Bahtijari were arrested in Kosovo on 5 October and transferred to the KSC Detention Unit on 6 October 2023. At the initial appearance on 9 October 2023, both Januzi and Bahtijari pleaded not guilty to all charges in the indictment.

• Haxhi Shala was arrested in Kosovo on 11 December and transferred to the KSC Detention Unit on 12 December 2023. At the initial appearance on 13 December 2023, Shala did not enter a plea. He pleaded not guilty to all charges at the further appearance on 15 December 2023. 

• On 13 December 2023, the SPO filed a request to join the cases against Januzi and Bahtijari (KSC-BC-2023-10) with the case against Haxhi Shala (KSC-BC-2023-11). On 8 February 2024, the Pre-Trial Judge granted the SPO request for the joinder of these two cases and determined that the joint case will be renamed The Specialist Prosecutor v. Sabit Januzi, Ismet Bahtijari and Haxhi Shala and will have the case number KSC-BC-2023-10.

• On 27 March 2024, the Pre-Trial Judge set 21 June 2024 as the date for transmitting the case file to Trial Panel.

*As of 02/04/2024

List of all hearings

Below you can find the list of all hearings in the Januzi & Bahtijari & H.Shala case. Please note that videos and transcripts will be added to the list as they become available.