Limaj again acquitted of war crimes charges

Ljimaj was also acquitted for the same crimes and on the same basis by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia more than three years ago. A mixed trial chamber of EULEX and Kosovo judges acquitted the remaining indictees as well: Arben Krasnici, Naser Krasnici, Naser Salja, Nedzmi Krasnici, Behljulj Ljimaj, Saban Salja, Sabit Salja, Besim Surdaj and Refki Mazreku, EULEX said. The judges believe the prosecution's arguments are mainly based on the evidence supplied by now deceased witness Agim Zogaj. Zogaj's statement, known as his journal, contains 200 pages describing the events related to the camp in Klecka, including claims that Ljimaj personally ordered the death of two Serbs. Shortly before Ljimaj's trial was scheduled to start, in 2011, Zogaj was found hanged in a park in Duisburg, Germany. He had been under EULEX protection for 2 years, ever since he turned himself over to the authorities and agreed to speak about crimes committed by Ljimaj and 9 others accused of crimes in Klecka. The Serbian government's Office for Kosovo has stated that it is “more than unpleasantly surprised” at the news that the Basic Court in Pristina acquitted the former commander of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) Fatmir Ljimaj who had been charged with war crimes in the Klecka case. “It is a devastating fact that no one has been found guilty for the killed and tortured Serbs in the village of Klecka. And the remains of the massacred bodies have been exhumed and identified and have names and surnames. Only those who committed the crime remained without a name and surname, as it is always the case when it comes to Serb victims in Kosovo,” the Office for Kosovo notes. The release notes that a mixed panel of judges, which comprised two EULEX judges and one Kosovo judge, also cleared of all charges the other accused in the case- Arben Krasnici, Naser Krasnici, Naser Sala, Nedzmi Krasnici, Behljulj Ljimaj, Sabit Sala, Saban Sala, Besim Surdaj and Refki Mazreku. Taking into account that this is a first-instance ruling, the Office for Kosovo wants to believe that the EULEX prosecutor will appeal against it, and that the criminals will be brought to justice, the release says. The Office for Kosovo underlines that the arrest and condemnation of criminals in this and other cases is a prerequisite for normal life in Kosovo. The Basic Court in Pristina acquitted Ljimaj on Tuesday due to a lack of evidence. He had been charged with ordering and partaking in torture of Serb and Albanian civilians and Serbian troops and police officers at a prison camp in Klecka in the municipality of Lipljan. The prosecutor at the Special Prosecution Office of Kosovo can still appeal against the verdict.