Anton Lekaj trial continues

Anton Lekaj trial continues

Anton Lekaj is accused of participating in the murder of four non-Albanians from a group of 13, mostly Roma, kidnapped individuals in Đakovica in 1999.

The witness stated that Lekaj, along with one other member of the Kosovo Liberation Army, raped her in the basement of the Paštrik Hotel, where she was taken in June 1999 after being kidnapped along with 13 other non-Albanians.

It was stated that in the three days during which the kidnapped individuals where held captive, they were force by members of the KLA to clean rooms. S.T. said that she was raped once again by another, unknown member of the KLA in another room of the hotel.

Witness B.Š. stated that Lekaj participated in physical and sexual abuse of the kidnapped and that he saw Lekaj punching the captives on several occasions.

At the beginning of the trial on November 17, Lekaj pleaded not guilty to the accusations that he and several other members of the KLA killed Ređa Šalju, Zvezdan Ljušaj and Rade Gagović on June 15, 1999 in Đakovica.

According to the indictment, Lekaj also allegedly participated in physical and sexual abuse of kidnapped non-Albanian individuals in the Paštrik Hotel, where he also participated in the murder of Bajram Krasnićij on June 14, 1999.