Isni Kilaj has been released in Kosovo on May 15, 2024, under strict conditions set by the Kosovo Specialist Chambers (KSC). The decision for his release was made by a Single Judge on May 3, 2024, and later upheld by a KSC Court of Appeals Panel on May 13, 2024.
The Single Judge’s decision was based on the assessment that there remains a grounded suspicion that Mr. Kilaj committed offenses against the administration of justice either alone or with others. Additionally, it was found that there exists a moderate risk of flight and a risk of obstruction of criminal proceedings and further crimes by Mr. Kilaj. Despite this, the Single Judge deemed it unreasonable to extend Mr. Kilaj’s detention considering factors such as his nearly six months of detention, the potential penalty for the suspected offenses, and delays in the proceedings due to a recent request by the Specialist Prosecutor’s Office (SPO) to suspend consideration of the submitted indictment.
The Court of Appeals Panel rejected the appeal by the SPO against Mr. Kilaj’s release, focusing on the conditions imposed by the Single Judge. Despite his release, Mr. Kilaj remains a suspect in KSC proceedings and is subject to strict conditions, including providing financial security to the Registrar, surrendering his passport and travel documents, reporting to the Kosovo Police on a weekly basis, refraining from making public statements regarding the KSC or related proceedings, and attending any required hearings.
The Single Judge emphasized that failure to comply with any of the conditions will result in the immediate issuance of a warrant for Mr. Kilaj’s arrest.
