War Crimes Suspect Released, Says He Was Back in Holland

But the day before he was released from this centre after the Special Prosecutor deemed that they have fired the causes and reasons for continuing the measure, KTV reports.

Garaj, who was arrested months ago under suspicions that he had committed war crimes during the war period, says he managed to obtain documents from the Netherlands state that testify that he was not in Kosovo during that time.

According to the Special Prosecutor, Garaj along with his brother Galan Garaj, who has already died, and 7 other persons among them and Serbs allegedly participated in murders, injuries, beatings, tortures, burns, plunder and expulsion of the civilian population from the “Ticsh” in Kline.

But in the Constitutional Court's decision issued the previous day, “following the prosecution's request to the Italian and Dutch authorities for confirmation of documents on refugee status in the Netherlands has been confirmed that the suspect Shemsy Garaj entered the Netherlands with the date of 24,03.199, while penetrated 01.12.1999.

Until he himself says he never wore a Serbian police uniform and has nothing to do with those charges.

While Sali Mekaj, the lawyer for the suspect Shemsy Garaj, has said the prosecution has no reason to continue investigating the case. According to McKajt, his client has offered the alibi that he was not in Kosovo, in the period when those crimes were allegedly committed.

While the Special Prosecutor, through a written answer, has only confirmed that after taking all investigative actions including interviewing witnesses, examining material evidence, expertise and others, the defence-proposed alibi has prompted the prosecution to ask for the detention measure to be cut off.

Subsequently, the Special Prosecutor has undertaken all investigative actions, including interviewing witnesses and defendants, examining material evidence documentation, expertise, etc. During this phase, defence (the defendants) has come forward as the alibi claim that the defendant S.G., during the alleged period (days 27.03.1999) has not been in Kosovo. Therefore, the PSRK has filed a request for international legal assistance, addressing the authorities of relevant states, with what cases are required to provide material information-proofs as part of the investigation of this case. Conform addressable requests, in 26.08.2019, through the ways of international judicial co-operation, The SPRK has accepted the answer of the relevant authorities, through which defence claims that the S.G. defendant, during the time he was suspected, has not been in Kosovo. So, based on these evidence, we have come to the conclusion that I have now been relieved of causes that have caused the appointment of the detention measure”, said the Special Prosecutor's response.

Until this prosecutor gave no explanation if he closed the investigation on this case.