Today's session canceled in the Peter Shala case, judgment resumes on May 19th

The scheduled hearing on May 5th in the case of Peter Shala has been cancelled and that the trial against him is expected to continue on May 19th 2023.

This has become known on the official site of Kosovo Specialised Chambers ( DESK, reports the Justice Trust.

After the oral decision of the Judicial Chamber, the trial of Peter Shala was concluded for today as tomorrow's (May 5) session is cancelled. The trial will resume on Friday, May 19th, at 09:30, the DSF report said.

Otherwise, during today's hearing, the court panel led by Judge Mapie Veldt-Foglia during Thursday's session has issued five oral orders and submitted the calendar for the case until January 2024.

On 25 April, Shala submitted the preliminary file for the trial under way.

Otherwise, during February, the trial has begun where the prosecution and the defense of the victims have submitted their opening statements, while on February 22nd they have heard Peter Shala's opening statements as well as statements without his oath.

In March it has begun to present the prosecution's evidence, where six witnesses have been heard so far.

The first witness has begun his testimony on March 27th and completed it on March 28th, the second witness has begun witnessing on March 28th and has completed it on March 29th, the third witness has begun witnessing on March 29th and has completed it on March 30th, the same day as the fourth witness.

The fifth witness, however, began witnessing on May 1 as he finished on May 2, where the testimony of the sixth witness began, which ended on May 3rd.

These witnesses were meant to be heard for five sessions, but since the same evidence has been completed for four days, the March 31st 2023 session has not been held.

Otherwise, Shala was arrested on March 16th 2021 by Belgian authorities and transferred to The Hague on April 15th 2021, on a request for co-operation in implementing arrest warrants and the command for transfer issued by Kosovo's Specialised Chambers, reports the “Justice Trust”.

In the confirmed indictment, Shala is charged with individual criminal responsibility in various forms of war crimes as arbitrary bans, cruel treatment, torture and illegal murder committed in the context of the armed conflict in Kosovo and in connection with this conflict.

The “commands that Mr. Shala was carried out approximately between May 17th 1999 and June 5, 1999, against persons who were held in the metal factory in Kukes (Albania), allegedly used by the Kosovo Liberation Army”, it is said in the communique.