25 August 2011

Acting upon the appeals of the defendants A.H., M.Q. and D.S. a mixed panel of EULEX and Kosovo judges at the Supreme Court issued the judgment on 24 August 2011. The Supreme Court partially accepted the appeal by assessing the sentences determined by the District Court of Prishtinë/Priština as too high. Therefore the sentences were reduced. The rest of the judgment was confirmed.

The defendants received aggregate reduced prison sentences of 14 years (A.H.), 15 years (M.Q.) and 11 years and 4 months (D.S.).

The District Court of Prishtinë/Priština had found A.H. and M.Q. guilty of attempted aggravated murder in co-perpetration on two occasions and unauthorized ownership/use of weapons. D.S. had been found guilty of attempted aggravated murder in co-perpetration on one occasion and unauthorized ownership/use of weapons.

On 28 February 2007 A.H. and M.Q. tried to kill A.B., at the time Director of the Telecommunication Regulatory Authority, by shooting at his vehicle with firearms. On 12 April 2007 A.H. and M.Q. tried again and this time D.S. participated to the attack. They attacked A.B’s vehicle with a hand grenade and two rocket launchers. On both occasions there were other people in the vehicle and at the second occasion also a vehicle of the escorting police officers. Thereby their lives were endangered also.