The trial session of the murder case of Liridona Ademaj in November 2023 was held at the Basic Court of Pristina on Wednesday.
Present at the hearing were the three defendants - the 30-year-old's husband, Naim Murseli, as well as Granit Plava and Kushtim Kokalla - family members of the victim, and the Ademaj family's lawyer, Leotrim Syla.
Murseli again pleaded not guilty, while Plava refused to plead guilty. Kokalla – who at the initial hearing, held on January 31, had said he would not plead without consulting the defense – pleaded not guilty.
The trial panel approved Mursel's defense request for a psychiatric examination, following its presentation by defense lawyers.
The trial will continue in July.
The hearing to begin the judicial review of this case was scheduled after the Basic Court in Pristina confirmed the indictment for Ademaj's murder on March 26.
During the initial hearing, the fourth defendant in the indictment for Ademaj's murder, Tom Dodaj, pleaded guilty. He was included in the indictment after selling the gun to Mursel, with which Ademaj's murder was committed. Dodaj was sentenced to five years in prison and a fine of 5,000 euros.
In the initial hearing, the judge in the case, Fatime Dermaku, had said that, if found guilty, Murseli, Plava and Kokalla could be sentenced to between 10 years and life imprisonment.
What was said in the session today?
The prosecutor in the case, Javorka Përlincević, said that the Prosecution possesses a large amount of evidence for the charges brought, as well as the statements of the accused given to the Kosovo Police.
"During the comparison of the statements and evidence collected, the Prosecution is convinced and we are trying to convince the trial panel and the public that the defendants committed the criminal offense," said Perlincevic.
The prosecutor said that, in the statement given to the Kosovo Police, Kokalla had said that Murseli had asked him a year earlier to kill his wife, but that he had refused. According to Kokalla's statement to the Police, three weeks before the murder, Kokalla had found the person who could carry out the murder, Plava, in exchange for 30 thousand euros.
But Kokalla's lawyer, Ndrecë Dodaj, said that the Prosecution's evidence does not prove Kokalla's presence or that he committed the criminal offense.
"This evidence only shows the fact that the defendant Kokalla and Murseli are family members, that is, nephew and uncle, and are fellow villagers," said Dodaj.
Perlincevic proposed that Jeton Binaku, who was told that he had lent Plava the car on the day of the murder, and Valon Lukaj, who was told that he had provided Plava with housing after the murder, and later Kokala, be called as witnesses.
Meanwhile, Murseli's lawyer, Teuta Zhinipotoku, said she believes there is no direct evidence proving that her client committed or ordered the murder of Ademaj.
Zhinipotoku also insisted that the judicial review continue only after an examination of Murseli's mental status has been conducted, to which request he said they have not received a response from the Prosecution or the Court.
According to her, this examination was requested to see if Murseli is able to understand the court procedure and consult with defense attorneys about the court case.
Plav's lawyer, Skënder Gojani, said that he has received expertise from the Institute of Psychiatry and Forensics regarding his client's mental state, and that due to his serious mental condition, he cannot plead guilty.
He said that Plava was in an accident two months before the murder, and that that accident "affected his mental state."
The judge in the case, Dërmaku, indicated that the preliminary procedure judge had rejected Murseli's defense request for an examination of the accused's mental status.
His lawyer said they have not received a response, but they still consider this examination necessary.
"During conversations at the Dyz Detention Center with the defendant, we noticed a labile state, thoughts of committing suicide, therefore, as a defense, we considered it necessary to conduct an examination and obtain expert findings."
After this, the trial panel approved Mursel's defense request for a psychiatric examination.
"The Institute of Psychiatry and Forensics is ordered to conduct this examination within two weeks," the judge said.
The session was adjourned and will continue on July 2 and 9, at 1:10 PM, and on July 14 at 9:00 AM.
How was the murder committed?
The prosecutor in the case, Javorka Përlincević, had previously stated that Murseli had planned to kill Ademaj out of anger and in revenge, as the couple had had "disordered family and marital relations."
The prosecution said that on June 25, 2022, a life insurance policy for Ademaj was paid, in the amount of 3,000,000 Swedish kronor (261,031 euros), so that, after her death, Murseli would benefit from this insurance.
The prosecution said that Murseli disclosed his plan to the accused Kokalla, to kill his wife, and asked him to find ways to carry it out. According to the prosecution, he had refused to commit the murder, and had informed Murseli about Plava.
The prosecution said that the three then agreed that Plava would kill Ademaj, and Murseli would compensate him with 30,000 euros.
Meanwhile, in this case, Dodaj was allegedly involved because on the day of the murder, according to the indictment, Murseli had purchased from him a Zastava pistol and 20 cartridges, worth 280 euros. This weapon, the Prosecution said, was used to kill Ademaj.
"....Naimi, cunningly, with his right hand held Liridona by the arm of her left hand, so that she would not dodge the bullet, after which, Naimi and the children got out of the car and left the scene," the Prosecution said.
Public reactions after the murder of Liridona Ademaj
Ademaj's murder had caused public outrage, also due to the fact that her husband had been part of the funeral ceremony.
Ademaj's family had requested the exhumation of her body so that she could be buried in her parents' cemetery, while women's rights activists have requested that Ademaj no longer be identified by her husband's surname - Murseli, but by that of her family - Ademaj.
According to data, since 2010, nearly 60 women have been killed in Kosovo. In most cases, the perpetrators were their husbands.
Women's rights organizations say that the justice system in Kosovo is sending "encouraging" messages to perpetrators with "light sentences."/ REL (A2 Televizion)
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