Peter Shala continues custody

According to DPS spokeswoman Angela Greep, the decision was made on May 17th by the court, which had concluded that the danger continues that Shala could prevent the performance of procedures or perform other criminal acts.

On May 17th, the Judicial Chamber ordered the continuation of Peter Shala's detention, arguing that the danger of Mr. Shala could prevent the performance of criminal procedures and commit other criminal acts. The Judicial Chamber also ruled that only in the detention facility of Specialised Chambers could effective monitoring of the accused's communications” be conducted, Greep said.

During the TSF's weekly briefing conference, Greep said there is an agreement there is the danger Shala could make threats, so even the detention measure for it continues to be reasonable.

The Judicial Chamber recalled that all witnesses called by the Prosecutor have testified and that additional evidence has been presented which may be incriminating. Consequently, the Judicial Chamber decided that there was danger that Mr. Shala could deliver on threats made earlier, especially in view of the general climate of witness intimidation in Kosovo. As the trial is progressing without legitimate delays, the Judicial Chamber found that the time the accused has spent in custody continues to be reasonable”, Greep said, the “Justice Vow bet” reported.

While, in the case of former KLA leaders, Greep said revisions suggested by the parties in the procedure for transcripts of public versions for four witnesses who witnessed last year have been adopted.

“In the Thaci court case and others on May 16th, the Judicial Chamber approved the editorials suggested by the Prosecutor, Victims Protector and the Witnesses' Office for Protection and Support for Transliteration of Public Versions, with fewer revisions of four witnesses bearing witness late last year. The Judicial Chamber also ordered that some additional parts of the transcript be re-rescripted as public. This process is part of the periodic revision of transcripts and pre-emptives to ensure that the processes are as public as”, Greep said.

She also announced the change of the prosecution's list of witnesses.

After a order issued by the Judicial Chamber on February 21st, the Prosecution handed over a “notation for changing witnesses” to simplify its witness list. According to the statement, the prosecution no longer intends to rely on the testimony of 10 witnesses and will ask permission to post the testimony of 13 witnesses in writing, rather than calling on them to witness in the courtroom. The prosecution confirmed that it would continue to review the witness list regularly and suggested they could provide an announcement of additional changes in October of this year”, Greep said.

Greep added that on May 22nd, the court has admitted to the evidence the statements of five witnesses as well as two others in part.

On May 22nd, the Judicial Chamber accepted five statements of witnesses and two statements of witnesses, in part, as evidence. In all, the Judicial Chamber found that specific materials related to two statements are not appropriate to be accepted as evidence.”, she said.

Greep also announced the witnesses who called the prosecution, who testified this week in this court case, adding that two were KFOR members

“in the same court case on Tuesday 21, the 63rd witness called by the Prosecutor, Mr. Ditrih Klaus-Jensh (Dietrich Klaus-Jensch) testified in public court. According to the summary presented by the prosecution, Mr. Klaus-Jensh served as an officer in German KFOR in Prizren during the respective period. The same day, 64th witness Johann Rudolf-Fric (Johan Rudolph Fritsch) began witnessing, as well as at the public hearing. The witness was a press spokesman at German KFOR in Prizren during the respective” period, she said.

In the end, Greep said the last witness is protected, and according to the prosecutor's summary read by the prosecutor, this witness is a relative of a victim allegedly missing and killed by Drenoci.

“After the 64th witness finished witnessing yesterday, the prosecution called a protected witness. According to the summary the prosecution read, the witness is a relative of a alleged victim of forced extinction and illegal murder in Drenoc. The next hearing in this court case is scheduled for tomorrow, Friday, May 24, and begins at 9: 00 a.m.,”, she said.

Otherwise, Kosovo Specialised Chambers in The Hague every Thursday at 14:30, via online platform “Zoom” hold weekly information offering updated information on recent developments regarding judicial procedures and activities in this court.