Court says if Mustafa is convicted, victims will not be referred to for damage to Kosovo courts

The trial panel at the helm with Mapie Veldt-Foglia has estimated that local courts in Kosovo do not provide a realistic approach to the victims of crimes for which charges are filed in this court case, as far as claims of damage are concerned.

In the announcement published by Kosovo's Specialised Chambers in The Hague, among other things, the court has reportedly addressed questions to the Justice Ministry about the case.

“In the decision issued on February 4th, 2022, the Judicial Chamber on the Mustafa case, after receiving three expert reports, concluded that local courts in Kosovo do not provide a realistic approach to the victims of crimes for which charges are filed in this court case, as far as claims are made of damage. As a result, the Judicial Chamber ruled that in the event there is convictions in the Mustafa case, it will not refer victims for judicial conflict in local courts in Kosovo under Article 22л9) of Law and Rule of 167 of the Order, but will issue the Law's Law Order for Distinction on the basis of provisions 22 (8) and 44 (6). It is also requested by the Kosovo Ministry of Justice that, within March 16th 2022, the Judicial Chamber presents the answers to some questions on the court case. Further details in this regard can be found in the current” decision, the DPS' decision says.

The Act against Salih Mustafa, who is the first arrested by the Special, was confirmed on June 12th 2020, as he was arrested on September 24th last year, on the claim of war crimes.

He is standing at The Hague's detention centre, while in his statement to the court, Salih Mustafa has been declared innocent.