Kosovo Ex-Guerrilla Pleads Not Guilty to War Crimes

Pjeter Shala, who was a Kosovo Liberation Army, KLA fighter during the 1998-99 conflict with Serbian forces, pleaded not guilty to war crimes at a pre-trial initial appearance at the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague on Monday.

"I understood [the charges] and I find the accusations ridiculous," Shala told the judge.

"I do not feel that I have committed any crime, except that I have defended my country; I am completely innocent," he said.

Shala, who was known as Komandant Ujku (Commander Wolf) during the war, when he operated in the KLA's Dukagjin Zone in western Kosovo, was arrested in his country of residence Belgium last month.

He was transferred to a detention centre in The Hague on April 16 after the pre-trial judge confirmed a four-count indictment charging him with war crimes.

But he told the judge that "there was no need for an arrest… just a summons and I would present myself".

He said that on several occasions he has been to the UN tribunal in The Hague, where he appeared as a witness in the war crimes trial of guerrilla turned politician Ramush Haradinaj.

Shala is charged with arbitrary detention, cruel treatment, torture and murder in the northern Albania town of Kukes, at a metal factory which indictment claims was used by the KLA as a detention centre.

"The alleged crimes with which Mr Shala is charged took place between approximately 17 May 1999 and 5 June 1999 against persons detained at the Kukes Metal Factory (Albania) allegedly used by the Kosovo Liberation Army," the Kosovo Specialist Chambers said in a statement.

The indictment names two other KLA ex-fighters, Sabit Geci and Xhemshit Krasniqi, as members of a "joint criminal enterprise" along with Shala.

It also alleges...