13 June 2012

A mixed panel of judges presided over by a EULEX judge at the Supreme Court of Kosovo ordered the retrial of S.V. found guilty for the criminal offence of murder and sentenced to 17 years of imprisonment.

The Supreme Court granted the appeal of the defense annulling the judgment of the District Court of Prizren and sending the case for retrial. The panel reasoned that the chain of evidence leading to the criminal responsibility of S.V. regarding the disappearance and death of A.Q. was not properly established in the first instance. Therefore, the factual situation needs to be reassessed.

The panel of judges rejected the request of the defense to terminate detention against the defendant. It also did not consider the appeals of the prosecutor and the injured party on the merits and set them aside.

S.V. was found guilty by the District Court of Prizren in March 2011 for the murder of A.Q. based on circumstantial evidence. A.Q. disappeared in August 1999 and his remains were found in July 2002.

The case was prosecuted by a District Public Prosecutor in Prizren.