Members of Drenica Group released pending trial

PRISTINA - Members of the Drenica Group who are charged with war crimes committed against civilians in the prison camp of former (ethnic Albanian paramilitary unit) Kosovo Liberation Army in 1998 have been released pending trial, Pristina media reported.

The EULEX judge of the Kosovska Mitrovica Basic Court decided to release from detention Sami Ljustaku, Sulejman Seljimi, Sahit Jasari, Jahir Demaku, Zecir Demaku and Hisni Taci.

Ljustaku holds office as the mayor of Srbica and is also a high official of the Democratic Party of Kosovo. In 1998, he held office as the KLA commander for Drenica.

Seljimi is former Kosovo ambassador in Albania and ex commander of the Kosovo Security Force. He held office as the commander of the KLA general headquarters during the clashes in Kosovo.

The news of the release from detention was confirmed by Ljustaku's lawyer Arijanit Koci and Seljimi's attorney Tom Gasi.

According to media reports, the trial against the Drenica Group will continue in January and February 2015.

Members of the Drenica group spent over two years in prison. They are charged with war crimes committed in the KLA prison camp in Likovac, Drenica area, during 1998.

Members of the Drenica Group are charged with torture, abuse and murder of Albanians who were considered loyal to Serbia and two of the indictees, Sabit Geci and Sahit Jasari, are also charged with torture and murder of Serb police officer Ivan Bulatovic.

According to the data of the Serbian judicial bodies, members of the Drenica Group kidnapped Bulatovic from a train in May 1998 and after torturing him in the prison camp, one of the KLA members took him to Likovac downtown where he brutally murdered him.