New Details in Azem Syla Trial Cases

The case where the accused is former deputy The PDK, Azem Syla, and 21 other people risk entering an endless path, as EULEX has withdrawn the request from the Kosovo Judiciary Council (KGJK) for the appointment of Appeals Judge Nora Blace, on the juro.

EULEX Justice Board Chairman Arcadius Sekek, at the 9 January session that failed to be held, indicated that EULEX had submitted a request to the KDR to appoint Judge Nora Blace on EULEX's court that will judge Azem Syla's case, but KALLXO.com finds that this request has been withdrawn from EULEX.

The request for the appointment of Judge Blace was made after Blace was the only judge who had been part of the panel of judges in the case of special investigative opportunity where two protected witnesses were heard in more than 20 hearings.

The Kosovo Criminal Procedure Code envisions that one of the judges taking part in the particular investigative opportunity if the indictment arises is appointed head of the court or member.

In this case, Judge Sedec announced, Judge Nora Blace was the judge who was to join the court to judge Azem Syla.

But Judge Blace in the meantime, from the initial hearing to the main review, was advanced to the Court of Appeals, and this had made it unable to be part of the court.

To solve this dilemma, EULEX was initially addressed to the Court of Appeals and then to the KDR, from where it had since withdrawn the application.

News of the withdrawal of the request for KALLXO.com confirmed KDR leader Nehat Idrizi.

“EULEX had filed a request concerning Judge Nora Blca, but that request was withdrawn on January 11th, and now EULEX has requested the appointment of a new judge in this case by the Pristina Constitutional Court”, Idrizi said.

KA LLXO.com contacted the head of the Pristina Foundation Court, Aferdita Bytyqi, who confirmed that he approved EULEX's request for the appointment of a new judge in the case.

Regarding this situation, KALLXO.com reported weeks earlier how the two protected witnesses were threatened to be heard again because of the case with Judge Blace. KA LLXO.com has also sent questions to EULEX, but has yet to accept answers.

On the other hand, one of the random lawyers, Tome Gashi, says he has yet to accept any reports from EULEX concerning developments about Judge Blace, but says that if she is not on the court, certainly the two protected witnesses should be heard again.

However, Gashi says if the court were to propose reading the statements of two protected witnesses would not object to such a proposal.