Court Reduces Sentence for Kosovo War Crimes Convict Shala

The Hague, Netherlands – On Monday, appeals judges at a court supported by the European Union confirmed convictions for murder, torture, and arbitrary detention against a former Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) fighter, but they reduced his sentence from 18 to 13 years, citing the original term as overly severe.

Pjeter Shala was found guilty a year ago for his involvement in mistreating prisoners at a KLA-operated makeshift jail within a metal factory in Kukës, northern Albania, during the Kosovo War of 1999, which sought independence from Serbia.

During the hearing held at the Kosovo Specialist Chambers, 62-year-old Shala attended via videoconference. He expressed disagreement by shaking his head when Judge Kai Ambos of Germany dismissed most parts of his appeal and pronounced the adjusted sentence.

The appeals panel determined that the trial judges had incorrectly convicted Shala for five cases of torture and two of arbitrary detention due to insufficient evidence. Nevertheless, they upheld his convictions on these charges for other detainees, including his involvement in the murder of one detainee who was shot and subsequently denied medical care.

The appeals judges reduced Shala’s sentence upon recognizing that trial judges did not adequately account for his lack of a commanding role in the murder. Additionally, the appeals panel stated that the initial 18-year sentence did not reasonably align with similar cases, according to a court statement.

The KLA spearheaded Kosovo's 1998-1999 struggle for independence from Serbia, with its top figures, including former President Hashim Thaci, currently facing trial in The Hague. The conflict claimed over 13,000 lives, primarily ethnic Albanians, before a NATO bombing campaign urged Serbia to withdraw its forces, allowing the United Nations and NATO to assume control.

Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008, gaining recognition from the United States and much of the West, though not from Serbia or its allies, Russia and China.

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