The trial against Mustafa, the counter-witness of prosecutor is heard at private hearing

The chairman of the court, Mapie Veldt Foglia, has ordered that the witness be heard in private hearings, about what paragraph 3 of the rule 20 mentioned where the possibility of even being held closed sessions was because of the psychological protection of the witness and the interest of justice.

“Based on information given to the court by the Office for Witness Protection and after acknowledging that it is in the interest of justice to ensure that the witness gives the testimony freely, the court approves the ZPS' request to take witness testimony entirely at the private session”, she said.

After the order issued by the head of the court, the hearing has followed private.

The counter-witness of this SPS witness comes after the completion of the evidence presentation and the prosecution's side and the Mustafa protection.

In this trial, 13 witnesses of the Specialised Prosecutor's Office have been heard, many of them protected and in closed or edited sessions. And Salih Mustafa's defense has presented 15 witnesses.

Early in this process Salih Mustafa, who faces charges of alleged war crimes, was declared innocent before the court.

Salih Mustafa is staying in custody at The Hague from September 24th 2020, when he was arrested.