Public hearing closed to war crimes indictees during 1999 in Izbica

Alidemaj is charged with participating along with Serb police and soldiers in the murder of Albanian civilians in the Izbica massacre that took place in March 1999, where more than 130 Albanians were killed and massacred, reports the “Justice Vow makeover”.

Initially, the defender of the accused, lawyer Deleviq, asked the court that the hearing in which it was presented be heard by two US and R.D witnesses, be closed to the public because of the sensitivity of the case.

This proposal by lawyer Delevic, special prosecutor Ilir Morina, considered it delayed and that according to him the same demand had to be made when witness hearing was proposed.

He said he does not object even though there are no legal reasons because their lives are not at stake.

If the court estimates I am for, but the legal reason is not because their lives are not endangered, they live in an area of Istog and Pec where everyone knows them. From the day everyone has been arrested to this day knows who the witnesses are and there has been no report or information that someone has carried out any action contrary to the law in relation to the defendant's family or the wider members of the district, Special Prosecutor Ilir Morina has said.

Meanwhile, the trial body decided that the hearings would be closed for witness hearing.

According to the indictment compiled on 29 March 2022, Muhamet Alidaj is being charged that during the 24 March 1999 period of March, June 11th, during the armed conflict in Kosovo, as a member of Serbian police and military forces, he has seriously violated the rules of international law during the time of the war against the civilian population and their property.