On 16 March 2021, the Belgian authorities, acting on the basis of a request for cooperation in the execution of an order for arrest and transfer from the Kosovo Specialist Chambers (KSC), arrested Mr Pjetёr Shala in Belgium. On 15 April 2021, Mr Shala was transferred to the Detention Facilities of the KSC in The Hague, the Netherlands. The public redacted arrest warrant and transfer order for Mr Shala can be accessed here.
The Pre-Trial Judge, Nicolas Guillou, confirmed the indictment against Mr Shala on 12 June 2020. The redacted confirmed indictment has now been made public in accordance with Rule 88 of the Rules of Procedure and Evidence. For security reasons, the Pre-Trial Judge ordered the indictment to be made public with redactions. It can be accessed here.
The confirmed indictment alleges that Mr Shala is responsible, under various forms of individual criminal responsibility, for the war crimes of arbitrary detention, cruel treatment, torture and murder committed in the context of and associated with a non-international armed conflict in Kosovo. The alleged crimes with which Mr Shala is charged took place between approximately 17 May 1999 and 5 June 1999 against persons detained at the Kukёs Metal Factory ( Albania) allegedly used by the Kosovo Liberation Army.
Information about the date and time of Mr Shala’s initial appearance before the Pre-Trial Judge will be announced in due course.
Initial appearances are public hearings and can be followed via the website of the KSC.
