Hague-based court's disgraceful decision: Sentence reduced for KLA terrorist

Photo: Tanjug/AP

The Appeals Panel of The Hague-based Kosovo Specialist Chambers decided to reduce former KLA ("Kosovo Liberation Army") member Pjeter Shala's sentence for war crimes from 18 to 13 years.

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According to a statement, the panel confirmed the verdict handed down to Shala for war crimes including arbitrary detention, torture and murder.

However, the panel partially accepted three of the 14 reasons presented by Shala in the appeal, while rejecting others, and reduced his sentence from 18 to 13 years in prison, which includes the time spent in custody, according to the statement.

Shala was arrested in Belgium based on a warrant issued by the Chambers.

He filed an appeal against the decision to arrest him, which was rejected by a Liege court on April 6, and was on April 15 extradited to The Hague, where he was detained.

The first-instance verdict against Shala was announced on July 16 of last year, according to which he was found guilty of war crimes.

The war crimes in question were committed roughly between May 17, 1999 and June 5, 1999, in a former metal processing factory in Kukes, a town in northern Albania.

(Telegraf.rs/RTS)