Lawyer of the victims: Salih Mustafa responsible for murder

Kosovo's Specialised Chambers in The Hague are hearing the closing statement of the defense of victims in the trial against former Kosovo Liberation Army Commander Salih Mustafa. Lawyer Anni Pues has said the accused is responsible for murder, arbitrary ban, inhuman treatment and torture, and according to him should be punished.

The victim's lawyer, Anni Pues, has said that a person of the detainees, who is allegedly held in Zlath, has lost his life and, according to her, holds Salih Mustafa responsible.

“We heard and no less of the defense witnesses that the defendant was actively involved in the evacuation of wounded from Zlati, if the accused gave active orders about what should happen to the victim he is responsible if he was not taken further to what would happen to this severely injured prisoner, and he left this to his men, that does not release him from responsibility... So the defendant had all the information needed to know that such a thing would happen, so the accused is responsible for murder as well as arbitrary detention, cruel treatment and torture, and for that it should be punished”, she said.

Pues has said Salih Mustafa has been aware that his subordinates were committing crimes and did nothing to stop them.

<x0.>Comandant Cali was commander of BIA and there was no doubt, when he didn't directly participate in the crimes in question, his subordinates did it, he knew and had reason to know what happened in Zlath, he was present and was directly involved, he didn't take steps to stop them. Failure to take appropriate action, to prevent or condemn acts of torture or other crimes is his involvement and direct and has the additional effect. As commander, Mr Mustafa you have had the right to protect the victims, instead you and your men have made arbitrary bans and committed the crimes they are in charge of and under your command at least one has been killed”, Përs said.

According to her, there is no doubt that humans have been banned for no just cause.

There is no doubt that people have been detained and detained for no reasons justified and in the absence of a law supporting their detention. The accused also bears responsibility for the inhuman treatment of victims who have witnessed to this court as well as other victims held in the Zlati complex. The prosecution has detailed the situation in which victims and the terrible abuses they have suffered and inhuman treatment is an attack and has caused great pain. It's this inhuman aspect that makes them feel worse than animals, causing some of them to wait better for death to get”, the lawyer of the victims said.

The closing statement of the victims' defense comes after the final statement by the Specialised Prosecutor's Office was completed Tuesday.

The SPS demanded that Salih Mustafa be found guilty of four points of indictment and receive a single sentence of 35 years in prison.

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

According to the Specialised Chambers “The confirmed indictment stipulates that approximately between April 1st 1999 and April 19, 1999, at a detention complex in Zlatko, Kosovo, arbitrary detention crimes, cruel treatment and torture against at least six persons” were committed. Also, in the indictment it is said that “in a date between April 19, 1999, or about this date, and about the end of April 1999, a banned “was killed at that location.

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