Special tomorrow starts judging Salih Mustafa

It is scheduled for the first trial in Kosovo's Specialised Chambers (DHSK) in the case of Salih Mustaf, to begin on September 15th, at 9:30, at the DHSK facilities in The Hague, and to be transmitted by a 45-minute delay.

The act against Mustafa was confirmed on June 12, 2020, and the final version was made public on September 28, 2020.

Charges have been brought against him on the basis of individual criminal responsibility and criminal responsibility as superior to four war crimes -- arbitrary ban, cruel treatment, torture and unlawful murder.

The crimes were allegedly committed at the Zlach detention complex in Kosovo in April 1999.

On the first day, the Chief Judge of the Judicial Chamber will issue judgment, require that the accused read the indictment, inform the accused of his rights and obligations, and ask the accused if he has understood the indictment and if he wants to stay his previous statement. In this case the accused has pleaded innocent.

The Specialised Prosecutor's Office will have three hours for its opening statement. The defender representing the participating victims will then have an hour and a half for its opening declaration.

So far, nine people have been accepted as participating victims in the process, and the process of submitting requests is open. Those who can demonstrate that they have suffered physical, mental or material damage as a direct consequence of a crime listed in a public indictment confirmed by the DHSK can still apply for participation in the process.

These include those who have suffered direct damage as well as those who have a close relationship with a direct victim killed or injured.

The Judicial Chamber has scheduled several sessions for the months of September and October.

Judges have announced that the prosecution will have 87 hours to present its evidence. The prosecution plans to call 16 witnesses, 15 of whom will testify in the courtroom.