Fifteen former members of the Kosovo Liberation Army’s wartime ‘Drenica Group’ cell told their trial that they defended their land from their enemy but did not commit war crimes.

In their closing statements on Monday at Mitrovica Basic Court, the 15 defendants rejected the charges against them and asked for acquittal, saying they were not guilty of the abuse of civilian prisoners at a KLA detention centre in the village of Likovc/Likovac during the Kosovo conflict.

One of the defendants, Sami Lushtaku, who is now the mayor of Skenderaj/Srbica, told the judge that he only defended his country during the war.

“I am not looking for mercy, but justice,” said Lushtaku.

He said he would do again the same again under similar circumstances. “If I had 100 lives, I would do the same,” he added.

Lushtaku, who was the KLA commander of the Drenica operating zone, is accused of killing a man and ill-treating other prisoners at the KLA detention centre in Likovc/Likovac in 1998.

Pristina’s former ambassador to Albania and the ex-commander of the Kosovo Security Force, Sylejman Selimi, is also among the accused.

Another defendant, Sabit Geci, is accused of killing a Serb police officer, Ivan Bulatovic, alongside another former member of the ‘Drenica Group’, Sahit Jashari.

But Geci said he could not have killed the police officer because he was in hospital from February 1998 until September 1998, when the crimes was committed.

“I was taken by my friends to Krume [in Albania] and from there via helicopter I was taken to the Tirana military hospital,” he said.

“We believe in justice because we are innocent,” he added. The verdict in the trial is scheduled for Wednesday.