Kosovo: Kurti Doesn't Show, Trial Delayed Until April
Pristina | 02 March 2010 | Petrit Collaku
The EU rule-of-law mission in kosovo, EULEX, which is in charge of the case, claimed that the Pristina District Court failed to replace panel member Fllanza Kadiu, who had fallen ill. Also, Ramiz Krasniqi, the ex officio lawyer representing the case, did not show up in court.
“This unfortunately shows the continuing weaknesses that need to be addressed within the local judiciary if Kosovo is to achieve European standards,” a EULEX statement reads.
The presiding judge decided to appoint a new lawyer ex officio, Musa Dragusha, to defend Albin Kurti.
Kurti has declared that the trial against him is politically motivated. He is currently ‘on-the-run’ from justice after he failed to show up in court on three occasions, including today’s hearing.
EULEX stated that no individual is above the law and anyone accused of a crime has a clear and fundamental right to defend him or herself in court.
“As a matter of principle a fair trial is meant to check whether prosecution has been fairly carried out, to check before an independent and impartial court whether a case is solid enough to prove somebody is guilty or not guilty.”
Kurti is accused of participating in a crowd committing a criminal offence, participating in a group obstructing official persons from performing their duties and calling for resistance.
The charges against him were raised in connection to the February 10, 2007 demonstrations in Pristina against the Ahtisaari plan for the future of Kosovo in which two Vetevendosje activists were killed and dozens injured.
The trial was set to begin on February 15 but has since been postponed three times.
In an interview on BIRN’s most recent Jeta ne Kosove show, held at the Vetevendosje office in Pristina, Kurti claimed that he continued to work as usual and that he was not hiding.
He was also asked whether the Self-determination movement would be active as a political party in the future.
Kurti said: “It isn't possible to see Vetevendosje as a political party, because we won’t become one. We already have political parties, but our movement might participate in elections as a movement, because such a thing is [legally] possible.”
