The Basic Court in Prishtina has ordered one month of detention for Jugoslav Radojević, who is suspected of war crimes against the civilian population in connection with suspected mass graves being investigated in the Zubin Potok area.
The detention measure, approved at the request of the Special Prosecution, will remain in force from August 2 until September 1, 2026.
According to the prosecution, Radojević is suspected of being involved in the detention, mistreatment, robbery and killing of a group of 23 Kosovo Albanian civilians on April 19, 1999, during the Kosovo War. The civilians were allegedly attempting to reach Montenegro to escape the fighting when they were stopped in the area of Kalludër e Vogël.
The prosecution alleges that Radojević, together with other individuals identified by investigators and while serving with the Territorial Defence forces mobilized in the Zubin Potok area, participated in the detention and subsequent execution of the group.
The victims named in the court documents include Adem Ademi, Demir Ahmeti, Idriz Rreci, Adem Beqiri, Hasan Dervari, Sahit Barani, Fatmir Fazliu, Ali Haliti, Bekim, Naser, Sali, Samir, Selim, Shaqir, Tahir, Xhemajl, Xhevdet and Zymer Meziu, as well as Faton, Mahit, Nazmi, Shaip and Shkelzen Ujkani. They have remained missing for more than two decades.
According to the prosecution, the victims were allegedly buried in a meadow near the river in the area known as Melaja in Kalludër e Vogël in an apparent attempt to conceal evidence of the crime.
The prosecution is also investigating the deaths of Sami and Sadete Feka, Deli Isufi and Rabije Isufi, who were allegedly killed by gunfire on April 18, 1999, and subsequently buried in Jabukë, in the same municipality.
Court documents also describe the testimony of Muharrem Feka, who allegedly survived an attack after being separated from the group. According to the prosecution, Feka was physically assaulted, ordered to walk toward the mountains and shot, suffering injuries to his head and chest. He reportedly survived and eventually reached the village of Germov, where he received medical assistance.
The Special Prosecution says its allegations are supported by witness statements, including testimony from Fadil Ademi, Sadik Kajtazaj and Muharrem Feka, as well as statements from relatives of the victims.
Radojević and his lawyer, Nebojša Vlajić, rejected the prosecution’s request for detention. The defence argued that there was insufficient individualized evidence against Radojević and alleged that police officers had physically assaulted him during his arrest. His lawyer also requested a medical examination.
Radojević himself told the court that he had not been a citizen of Kosovo until 2008 and said that he had worked for the furniture company Simpo for many years.
The court nevertheless concluded that there was a concrete risk that Radojević could flee to Serbia, where he owns a home, potentially making it difficult for Kosovo’s judicial authorities to ensure his presence in the proceedings.
The investigation comes amid ongoing excavations at several locations in Zubin Potok. Human remains have reportedly been discovered in Kalludër e Vogël and Jabukë, including the remains of four people recovered in Jabukë earlier this week. Initial assessments by Kosovo’s Government Commission on Missing Persons indicated that the remains may belong to people who were forcibly disappeared during the war.
The Special Prosecution requested the start of excavations in Kalludër e Vogël on July 28 after receiving information suggesting the possible existence of a mass grave containing victims of the Kosovo War.
Two people were initially arrested in connection with the investigation, while another suspect was arrested on August 2 on suspicion of war crimes.
Investigators expanded the search on August 4 to a third location in Zubin Potok. Authorities have provided limited information, citing the sensitive nature of the investigation.
The latest investigation has renewed attention to the fate of 23 Kosovo Albanian civilians who, according to accounts provided by their families to KALLXO.com, disappeared in the Zubin Potok area 27 years ago.
All allegations remain subject to judicial proceedings and a final determination by the courts.
