The trial against two leaders of the former Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) Sabit Geci and Riza Alija, who are charged with war crimes committed against civilian camp inmates in Albania during the clashes in Kosovo-Metohija, started in Pristina on Monday.

The trial began before a mixed judicial panel chaired by EULEX judge EULEX judge Jonathan Welford-Carroll from Britain.

During the first hearing, Geci and Alija pleaded not guilty and refuted the indictment.

The EULEX Prosecutor's Office raised the indictment against Geci and Alija in January 2010, which was the first indictment to be brought in relation to EU investigation into KLA crimes, which was initiated after former Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunal for former Yugoslavia Carla del Ponte published allegations regarding the 'Yellow House case.'

The indictment was signed by Prosecutor Robert Dean and it covers the crimes committed in camps in Kukes, eastern Albania, which initially served as KLA logistics bases but which Geci turned into camps for persons who did not participate in the conflicts.

However, the indictment does not cover the crimes committed against Kosovo Serbs. The victims of the crimes included in the indictment are Albanians whom the KLA commanders of the time charged with collaboration with Serbian authorities, and the individuals whose political views differed from those of KLA.

The indictment covers the period from March to June 1999, but it does not quote murder cases. Instead, the document comprises cases of torture and abuse, and 20 persons included in a special witness protection programme should testify during the trial.

The indictment against Geci was raised shortly after the report on human organ trafficking authored by Special Rapporteur of the Council of Europe Dick Marty caused alarm on the Kosovo political scene.

Geci and Alija are also mentioned in Marty's report. Geci was arrested in May 2009, while Alija was captured a month later. In 2001, Geci was found guilty of extortion and sentenced to five years in prison.