October 12 2017- On 22 August 2017 the Court of Appeals, in a Panel composed of 2 international Judges and 1 local Judge, deliberated upon appeals filed in a case concerning 20 defendants variously indicted on a number of Counts of Organized Crime (Participation in an Organized Criminal Group),
contrary to Article 283, paragraph 1 of the CCK, in conjunction with the criminal offence of Smuggling of Migrants, contrary to Article 170, paragraph 1 of the CCK and the criminal offence of Smuggling of Migrants (Fraudulent Travel Documents), contrary to Article 170, paragraph 2 of the CCK and for a number of Counts of Unauthorized ownership, control or possession of weapons, contrary to Article 374, paragraph 2 of the CCK. Seventeen of the defendants filed appeals against the Ruling of the Presiding Trial Judge of the Basic Court of Pristina PKR 305/2016 dated 27 March 2017, which rejected the applications from the defence to dismiss the indictment and their objections to the evidence. The Court of Appeals, by Ruling PN 475/2017 dated 25 September 2017, dismissed 17 appeals. The Ruling of the Presiding Trial Judge was affirmed.