Proceset gjyqësore në Kosovë për krime të luftës dhe vepra penale ...

and media support in Kosovo, with some human rights organizations demanding hisrelease.The Islami et al caseOn 16 February 2007, International Prosecutor Cecilia Tillada brought an indictmentagainst Skender Islami, Mustafa Islami, Ramadan Islami, Omer Sylejmani and GazimendMorina on charges of committing in Kosovo Polje/Fushë Kosovë during the March2004 violence criminal offences of participating in a group that commits criminal acts,grave offences against general security and inciting national, racial and religious hatred,discord and intolerance against persons of Serb nationality. Specifically, the defendantswere charged with setting fire on 17 and 18 March 2004 in Kosovo Polje/Fushë Kosovëto the Živin gaj restaurant and house of the Serb Miroslav Veličković, a kiosk in front ofhis house, the hospital, health centre, pharmacy and Sveti Sava primary school building(institutions not incorporated in the Kosovo system and financed by the SerbianGovernment), as well as several vehicles parked outside the hospital and health centre,mostly owned by Serbs. The trial started on 22 October 2007. By the end of the yearseven main hearings had been held and 28 prosecution and three defence witnessesexamined.39In common with other proceedings connected with the Kosovo Albanian violence inMarch 2004, the indictment was raised long after the incident. The policemen whoappeared as witnesses adhered to their earlier statements of having seen the defendantsin the group that set the facilities on fire; others, however, varied their statements,claiming that during the interrogation the policemen pressed them to incriminate thedefendants and to sign statements written by the police in advance. As most of these witnesseswere underage at the time of the police interviews, they were questioned in thepresence of their parents or social workers. The court confronted some of the witnessesand policemen who were alleged to have pressured them. Both adhered to their earlierallegations. The trial continues in 2008.The Gashi caseOn 8 February 2007, International Prosecutor Robert Dean brought an indictmentagainst Idriz ‘Galani’ Gashi for a war crime against the civilian population, on charges ofkilling, in August 1998 during the armed conflict in Kosovo, the Albanian Sanije Balajnear Vranovac/Vranoc village in Peć/Pejë municipality for collaborating with the Serbs.At the end of the trial, held from 9 May to 22 June 2007 before the Peć/Pejë DistrictCourt, an international trial chamber presided over by Vinod Boolell found Gashi guilty