Kosovo fighter’s sentence cut despite court upholding convictions for murder, torture

THE HAGUE, Netherlands — A former Kosovo war liberation fighter, Pjetër Shala, had his murder, torture, and arbitrary detention convictions upheld by appeals judges at a European Union-backed court. However, his prison term was reduced from 18 years to 13 years due to the initial sentence being deemed too harsh.

Shala was convicted for his involvement in the mistreatment of detainees held by the Kosovo Liberation Army during Kosovo’s 1999 war for independence from Serbia. The abuse took place at a makeshift jail in a metal factory in Kukёs, northern Albania.

During the hearing at the Kosovo Specialist Chambers, Shala, now 62 years old, reacted with disbelief as Judge Kai Ambos of Germany delivered the new sentence, rejecting parts of his appeal.

The appeals panel found that Shala was wrongly convicted of five cases of torture and two of arbitrary detention due to insufficient evidence. However, his convictions for other detainees’ mistreatment and the murder of one detainee were upheld.

In justifying the reduced sentence, the appeals panel noted that Shala did not hold a command role in the specific murder case and that the original 18-year sentence was disproportionate compared to similar cases.

The Kosovo Liberation Army, which led the fight for independence from Serbia in 1998-1999, is currently under scrutiny with its main leaders, including former President Hashim Thaci, facing trials in The Hague.

The Kosovo war resulted in over 13,000 deaths, mostly ethnic Albanians, before a NATO intervention led to Serbia’s withdrawal from the region. Kosovo declared independence in 2008, recognized by the United States and most Western countries, but opposed by Serbia, Russia, and China.