In the trial preparation conference in the case against the former leaders of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA), who are accused of war crimes, the Specialist Prosecutor’s Office has stated that they will need more than 700 hours to present their case. Whereas the presiding judge, Charles L Smith II, has announced that the court will make cuts if it deems it necessary, according to him, to protect the rights of the accused for the trial period. In this conference, the parties did not object the trial to start in March of this year.

The trial panel was concerned about the time that the prosecution estimated for its case.

Presiding Judge, Smith has encouraged the SPO to consider the need to shorten the presentation of its arguments as well as to utilize all the procedural tools at its disposal to enable a fair and speedy trial...