The Prosecutor v. Pjetër Shala
Case Sheet · KSC
The Specialist Prosecutor v. Pjetër Shala
| Case number | KSC-BC-2020-04 |
| Status | End of appeal |
Context
Pjetër Shala was a member of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) stationed in Kukës, Albania. The charges relate to crimes committed between approximately 17 May 1999 and 5 June 1999 against persons detained at the Kukës Metal Factory, used by the KLA as a detention and interrogation site. The victims were persons suspected of collaborating with Serbian authorities or not sufficiently supporting the KLA. On 16 July 2024, Trial Panel I found Shala guilty of the war crimes of arbitrary detention, torture, and murder and sentenced him to 18 years of imprisonment. He was acquitted of cruel treatment. On 14 July 2025, the Appeals Panel affirmed the convictions but reduced the sentence to 13 years. This is the second war crimes judgment of the KSC.
Pre-Trial
| Indictment confirmed | 12 June 2020 |
| Crimes at indictment |
War crime of arbitrary detention · art. 14(1)(c) LSC War crime of cruel treatment · art. 14(1)(c) LSC War crime of torture · art. 14(1)(c) LSC War crime of murder · art. 14(1)(c) LSC |
| Arrest & transfer to KSC custody | 16 March 2021 (arrested in Belgium) · transferred 15 April 2021 |
| Case transmitted to Trial Panel I | 21 September 2022 |
Trial
| Trial opening | 21 February 2023 |
| Trial judgment | 16 July 2024 · Convicted in part |
| Crimes at trial judgment |
War crime of arbitrary detention · art. 14(1)(c) LSC War crime of torture · art. 14(1)(c) LSC War crime of murder · art. 14(1)(c) LSC Acquitted: war crime of cruel treatment |
| Sentence (Trial Panel) | 16 July 2024 · 18 years of imprisonment |
Appeals
| Notice of appeal (conviction) | 2 September 2024 |
| Appeals judgment (conviction) | 14 July 2025 · Convictions affirmed; sentence reduced to 13 years of imprisonment |
Reparations
| Reparations order | 29 November 2024 · KSC-BC-2020-04 |
| Amount | 8 victims awarded individual compensation totalling €208,000. Shala found indigent; Registry ordered to seek compensation through Kosovo’s Crime Victim Compensation Program on behalf of victims |
| Appeal on reparations | 29 January 2026 · Appeals Panel affirmed reparations order in full |
Key Documents
| Confirmation of Indictment | Indictment (2020) |
| Arrest Warrant | Arrest Warrant (2020) |
| Trial judgment | Trial Judgment (16 July 2024) |
| Reparations order | Reparation Order (29 November 2024) |
| Appeals judgment (conviction) | Appeals Panel Judgment (14 July 2025) |
| KSC case page | Official KSC page — The Specialist Prosecutor v. Pjetër Shala |