Kosovo Albanians jailed in mass trial

In the largest mass trial ever held in Yugoslavia, one-hundred-and-forty-three ethnic-Albanians have been sentenced in the Serbian town of Nis for terrorism during the Kosovo conflict last year.

They were jailed for between seven and thirteen years, after being convicted of forming a unit of the Kosovo Liberation Army in the town of Djakovica in western Kosovo.

The main trial judge said it was impossible to determine the individual guilt of each of the defendants.

But tests had proved they'd used firearms.

Defence lawyers said the accused were civilians who'd been arrested arbitrarily; one lawyer said they were convicted only because they were ethnic-Albanians.

An appeal is being lodged.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service