Trial of rthnic Alabanian students postponed again

31 March 2000

The trial of five ethnic Albanian students of Belgrade University on

charges of seditious conspiracy and terrorism has been postponed until

26 April because of the non-appearance of witnesses on 30 March.

Petrit and Driton Berisha, Driton Meqa, Shkodran Derguti and Isam

Abdulahu have been in custody since May last year when they were

arrested in Belgrade. When the trial opened in November 1999, the

defendants pleaded not guilty to all counts of the indictment. Witnesses

also denied the students' involvement in preparing acts of terrorism and

sabotage in Belgrade and collection of funds for the Kosovo Liberation

Army.

The trial was originally scheduled to resume on 17 Marleged that, as members of the Kosovo Liberation Army,

they attacked Serbian police officers in Glogovac Township in the periue

and cannot be the sole ground for a court decision.

All the accused received three years' imprisonment as the court failed

to individualize the sentences although bound by law to do so.