Kosovo War Fighter's Conviction Upheld, Sentence Reduced

Appeals judges at a European Union-supported court have upheld the murder, torture, and arbitrary detention convictions against former Kosovo Liberation Army fighter Pjeter Shala on Monday. However, they reduced his prison term from 18 years to 13, citing an excessively harsh sentence initially imposed during his trial.

Shala was convicted a year ago for his involvement in the mistreatment of detainees held by the Kosovo Liberation Army in a makeshift jail located in a metal factory in northern Albania's Kuk's region, during the 1999 Kosovo war for independence from Serbia. Shala, aged 62, watched the hearing via videoconference and shook his head as Judge Kai Ambos of Germany dismissed large portions of his appeal. Despite this, the appeals panel reduced his sentence.

The appeals panel determined that trial judges incorrectly convicted him of five torture cases and two arbitrary detentions due to insufficient evidence, but maintained convictions for other detainees and his role in a murder incident. They justified the sentence reduction by highlighting his lack of command authority during the criminal acts and deemed the original 18-year sentence disproportionate compared to similar cases.

(With inputs from agencies.)