Kosovo Tribunal Confirms Pjeter Shala's War Crimes Conviction, Reduces Sentence

The Kosovo tribunal in The Hague confirmed the conviction of former Kosovo Liberation Army member Pjeter Shala for war crimes on Monday, although it reduced his sentence to 13 years. Shala, initially convicted in 2024, was responsible for crimes like torture, murder, and arbitrary detention during the 1998-99 Kosovo conflict against Serbian forces.

While several convictions related to torture and arbitrary detention were reversed on appeal, convictions specifically tied to other victims were upheld. The judges noted that the lower court did not consider Shala's lack of command in the murder charge, reducing his sentence by five years.

The conflict saw over 13,000 deaths, leading to Kosovo's declaration of independence in 2008. The Kosovo Specialist Chambers, established in 2015 in the Netherlands, addresses cases against KLA fighters under Kosovo law. The court functions separately from the UN tribunal prosecuting Yugoslav war crimes.

(With inputs from agencies.)