01 June 2013

A panel of EULEX and Kosovo judges at the Court of Appeals in Pristina modified the decision of the Basic Court of Mitrovica changing the measure from house detention to detention on remand against seven suspects being investigated for war crimes against the civilian population.

The panel accepted the appeal of the special prosecutor and rejected the appeals of the defence counsels, granting the initial application of the special prosecutor for detention on remand against all seven suspects.

The main reason for ordering detention on remand was the danger of obstructing the criminal proceedings by influencing witnesses. The Court of Appeals came to the conclusion that considering the specific circumstances only detention on remand could sufficiently guard against the risks of manipulation with evidence.

The case is being investigated by a EULEX special prosecutor from Kosovo's Special Prosecution Office.