Ekaterina Trendafilova has been reappointed president of the Specialized Chambers of Kosovo for a new four-year term, the court announced on Friday.
Trendafilova's current mandate would end on December 15. This is the second time that her mandate has been extended since she was appointed head of the Specialized Chambers of Kosovo in 2016, a year after their establishment.
The Specialized Chambers and the Specialized Prosecutor's Office, known as the Special Court, investigate alleged crimes committed by members of the Kosovo Liberation Army against ethnic minorities and political rivals from January 1998 to December 2000.
Trendafilova emphasized that she "appreciates the continued trust" in her and that she is "convinced that the Specialized Chambers of Kosovo will continue to carry out the processes in a fast, fair and effective manner, as required by the legal framework of the court" .
Last week, the Special Court in The Hague confirmed a new indictment against the former president of Kosovo, Hashim Thaçi, as well as against the former Minister of Justice, Hajredin Kuçi, the former head of the Kosovo Intelligence Agency, Bashkim Smakaj, the former the mayor of Malisheva, Isni Kilaj, and Fadil Fazli.
They are accused of influencing witnesses in another case where former president Thaçi - along with other former leaders of the Kosovo Liberation Army, Kadri Veseli, Jakup Krasniqi and Rexhep Selimi - are being tried for war crimes and crimes against humanity. , which they denied.
The Specialized Chambers of Kosovo have so far announced two verdicts for obstruction in the administration of justice.
Two former figures of the KLA Veterans Organization, Hysni Gucati and Nasim Haradinaj, have been convicted of obstruction of justice so far.
Meanwhile, the Special Court has also pronounced two verdicts for war crimes.
The former superior of the KLA, Salih Mustafa, has been sentenced to 22 years of imprisonment for war crimes, while the former member of the KLA, Pjetër Shala, has been sentenced to 18 years of imprisonment for arbitrary detention, torture and murder.
The Special Court was established in 2015 by the Assembly of Kosovo and is part of the judicial system of Kosovo, but operates with international personnel and is headquartered in The Hague. /REL
