267:
290:, based in The Hague, found Mustafa guilty of war crimes; arbitrary detention, torture, and murder, and sentenced him to 26 years in prison. Mustafa was found guilty of operating a torture center where detainees were subjected to brutal treatment, including beatings, burns, and electric shocks. He personally interrogated and assaulted detainees, leading to the death of one victim who was denied medical care.
293:
According to the court prosecutor
Michalzuk, the victims were released on April 19, 1999, from Zllash, they were allegedly prevented from leaving along with another detainee. None of them were ever seen alive again. "Some time later, after an intense and painful search by family members, the victim's
305:. Additionally, he was ordered to pay compensation to his victims. This verdict marked a significant milestone for the Kosovo Specialist Chambers which was established in order to investigate and prosecute war crimes committed by the KLA, as it was the first war crimes judgment issued by the court.
234:
Despite facing heavy resistance, the KLA fighters managed to repel the
Serbian forces on numerous occasions during their attempts to capture strategic points. Serbian forces suffered significant losses in both personnel and equipment, particularly along the Viti-Gerbesh line. Meanwhile, the KLA had
215:
As the conflict intensified, Mustafa's unit engaged in guerrilla warfare tactics, conducting operations against
Serbian forces and strategic targets. The Skifteraj unit operated clandestinely within enemy territories, coordinating with other KLA units to resist Serbian control and advance the cause
308:
Mustafa appealed the verdict, which was quashed in
December 2023, however his original sentence of 26 years was reduced to 22 years. The presiding judge, Michele Picard, stated that the reduced sentence still reflects the seriousness of Mustafa's crimes. The court noted that comparable war crimes
238:
Following their losses in the battle, the
Serbian command retaliated by targeting the civilian population of Makoc, resulting in the massacre of 153 people. Subsequently, the events surrounding the Battle of Marec set the stage for the subsequent atrocities, including the detention and torture of
230:
On April 18, 1999, Serbian forces launched an offensive against the KLA-held Marec
Highlands, aiming to remove the KLA from the region and encircle their brigades. Exploiting adverse weather conditions, the Serbian forces attacked from multiple directions, resulting in intense battles across the
231:
area. Initially, Serbian forces clashed with fighters from the KLA's 153rd
Brigade in Kukaj, where several Serb soldiers were killed, prompting a temporary retreat. However, Serbian artillery bombarded KLA positions during their withdrawal.
258:, overseeing and condoning the acts inflicted upon innocent detainees. The victims who endured suffering at the hands of Mustafa and his associates had been falsely accused of collaboration with Serbs, or not supporting the KLA.
401:
172:, based in The Hague, found Mustafa guilty of war crimes and sentenced him to 26 years in prison. The judgement was appealed but quashed in December 2023, although his sentence was reduced to 22 years.
254:
Evidence presented during investigations revealed that
Mustafa not only gave orders but also directly engaged in the torture of two civilians. Moreover, he was present on multiple occasions at the
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the additional responsibility of providing protection and assistance to the civilian population that had fled from
Pristina to the Marec Highlands, comprising approximately 80,000 inhabitants.
697:
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247:
Salih
Mustafa's involvement in the crimes extends to the brutal torture and murder of Albanian civilians during April 1999 in the detention center located in
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402:"Beteja e fituar te Shkëmbi i Gradinës, më 18 prill 1999 shënoi fitoren vendimtare të ruajtjes së pozicioneve të UÇK-së, në Rrafshnaltën e Drenicës"
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251:. Mustafa, along with other members of the BIA unit, actively participated in these atrocities as part of a joint criminal enterprise.
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451:""Të rënët janë motivim për ta dashur atdheun e për ta ruajtur lirinë", Haradinaj kujton dëshmorët e Prishtinës"
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cases both in Kosovo and internationally had resulted in shorter sentences than initially imposed on Mustafa.
377:"Prokuroria Speciale, kundër Salih Mustafës prezantoi fotografi ku dyshohet se janë mbajtur civilët shqiptarë"
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494:"The first verdict on war crimes by the Specialized Chambers of Kosovo - Humanitarian Law Center Kosovo"
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Mustafa, also known as "Commander Cali," had pleaded not guilty and compared the proceedings to a "
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also recognized as the Guerrilla BIA , which name "BIA" is an acronym formed from the initials of
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614:"Aufarbeitung des Kosovo-Kriegs - Ex-Kommandant Mustafa zu 26 Jahren Haft verurteilt"
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560:"Salih Mustafa found guilty of war crimes and sentenced to 26 years of imprisonment"
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formed a special guerilla unit within the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) known as
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698:"Salih Mustafa: Kosovo-Tribunal verurteilt MilizenfĂĽhrer zu 26 Jahren Haft"
758:"Kosovo court upholds conviction of rebel commander, reduces jail time"
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589:"Kosovo-Tribunal: Ehemaliger KLA-Kommandant muss 26 Jahre in Haft"
640:"Mustafa vergleicht die Sonderstaatsanwaltschaft mit der Gestapo"
161:(UÇK), specifically the Guerria-BIA unit under the leadership of
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Kosovo Specialist Chambers & Specialist Prosecutor's Office
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Kosovo Specialist Chambers & Specialist Prosecutor's Office
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office," drawing a parallel to the notorious secret police of
655:"Kosovo Ex-Guerrilla Convicted of War Crimes by Hague Court"
469:"Kosovo Ex-Guerrilla Convicted of War Crimes by Hague Court"
518:"Kosovo tribunal convicts ex-rebel leader for war crimes"
542:"Former Kosovo rebel commander convicted of 1999 murder"
326:"Former Kosovo rebel commander convicted of 1999 murder"
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294:body was found in a shallow grave."
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16:Torture of civilians during the Kosovo war
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274:(2020), with plans to transfer him to
791:Albanian war crimes in the Kosovo War
570:from the original on 16 December 2022
426:"Beteja e Marecit (18-23 prill 1999)"
270:Salih Mustafa was brought before the
7:
730:"26 Jahre Haft fĂĽr AnfĂĽhrer der UCK"
653:Bami, Xhorxhina (16 December 2022).
618:Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen (SRF)
351:"How to defend the liberation war?"
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381:Raporto Korrupsionin! KALLXO.com
180:During the early stages of the
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149:incident occurred during the
400:Qeriqi, Ahmet (2023-04-18).
375:Uka, Erolinda (2021-09-15).
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288:Kosovo Specialist Chambers
272:Kosovo Specialist Chambers
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216:of Kosovo's independence.
170:Kosovo Specialist Chambers
704:(in German). 2022-12-16.
432:(in Albanian). 2017-04-17
239:collaborators in Zllash.
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786:1999 in military history
736:(in German). 2022-12-16
620:(in German). 2022-12-16
595:(in German). 2022-12-16
65:, non-supporter of the
286:In December 2022, the
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168:In December 2022, the
159:Kosovo Liberation Army
107:Kosovo Liberation Army
781:1999 crimes in Kosovo
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546:The Associated Press
220:Execution of torture
126:Albanian nationalism
112:Guerilla BIA led by
764:. 14 December 2023.
548:. 16 December 2022.
406:Radio Kosova e Lirë
282:Trial of war crimes
87:arbitrary detention
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243:Torture and murder
473:Prishtina Insight
355:Prishtina Insight
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738:. Retrieved
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194:Bahri Fazliu
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103:Perpetrators
702:Der Spiegel
74:Attack type
775:Categories
740:2024-02-15
715:2024-02-15
683:2024-02-15
624:2024-02-15
599:2024-02-15
574:2022-12-16
527:2024-02-15
522:Al Jazeera
503:2024-02-15
498:HLC Kosovo
479:2024-02-15
436:2023-06-13
411:2023-06-13
386:2024-02-15
361:2024-02-15
336:2024-02-14
313:References
224:See also:
182:Kosovo War
176:Background
151:Kosovo War
130:Separatism
96:6 tortured
53:April 1999
29:Kosovo War
734:www.fr.de
710:2195-1349
276:The Hague
262:Aftermath
190:Skifterat
762:France24
593:euronews
568:Archived
430:2LONLINE
98:1 killed
61:alleged
36:Location
27:Part of
330:AP News
299:Gestapo
136:Verdict
93:Victims
83:torture
708:
249:Zllash
210:Gollak
200:, and
139:Guilty
122:Motive
109:(UÇK)
85:, and
79:murder
58:Target
44:Zllash
40:Kosovo
706:ISSN
208:and
206:Llap
145:The
50:Date
67:KLA
777::
760:.
749:^
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