The Initial Hearing (Seanca e Shqyrtimit Fillestar) opens today at the Basic Court of Prishtina (Special Department) in the criminal case against 21 defendants accused of war crimes against the civilian population during the 1998–1999 conflict in Kosova.
Due to the defendants remaining fugitive or unavailable to law enforcement prior to the indictment, the judicial proceedings are set to be conducted in absentia, adhering to legal frameworks provided by the Special Prosecution of the Republic of Kosova.
Key Accused Individuals
The Special Prosecution’s indictment lists 21 individuals, which include high-ranking former Serbian military, police, and security figures:
- Prominent Defendants Named: Božidar Delić (deceased former general, tried in absentia as per prosecution filing requirements), Obrad Stevanović, Goran Radosavljević (“Guri”), Sreten Popović, Dragan Živanović, Miloš Đošan, and Radomir Marković, among others.
- Full List of Defendants: Zlatomir Pešić, Mladen Ćirković, Radomir Marković, Duško Adamović, Obrad Stevanović, Živko Trajković, Goran Radosavljević, Bogoljub Janićijević, Slaviša Ivanović, Boško Vukićević, Sreten Popović, Nikola Petrović, Krsman Jevtić, Ljubiša Stojimirović, Božidar Delić, Radojko Stefanović, Dragan Živanović, Miloš Đošan, Ljubinko Cvetić, Božidar Filić, and Milovan Kovačević.
Trial Conditions and Legal Frame
- Trial In Absentia: Under Kosova’s updated Code of Criminal Procedure, courts are permitted to try war crimes cases in absentia provided that reasonable efforts have been made by law enforcement to locate and summon the accused.
- Public Summons: Along with announcing the start of the initial hearing, the Court issued a public call urging all named defendants to surrender to the judicial authorities of the Republic of Kosova to face the charges in person.
