Three years after the Banjska armed attack in northern Kosovo, Milan Radoičić remains at large in Serbia despite being accused by Kosovo authorities of organizing and leading the operation and facing a separate indictment over alleged war crimes committed during the 1998–1999 Kosovo war.
Radoičić’s name appears repeatedly in the full judgment of the Basic Court in Prishtina concerning the Banjska case. However, the April 2026 verdict did not concern him because the proceedings against the three defendants who were tried were separated from the case involving the other accused, including Radoičić.
The Basic Court sentenced Blagoje Spasojević and Vladimir Tolić to life imprisonment and Dušan Maksimović to 30 years in prison over the September 24, 2023 attack, in which Kosovo Police Sergeant Afrim Bunjaku was killed and two other officers were wounded.
According to Kosovo prosecutors, Radoičić was the leader of the armed group behind the attack. He has publicly acknowledged responsibility for organizing and participating in the operation, but remains outside the reach of Kosovo’s judicial authorities. The other defendants in the broader case also remain outside Kosovo.
Separate War Crimes Indictment
The Banjska case is not the only criminal proceeding involving Radoičić in Kosovo.
On August 6, 2026, Kosovo’s Special Prosecution Office indicted 20 people, including Radoičić, over alleged war crimes against civilians in the Gjakova municipality during the 1998–1999 war. Prosecutors accuse the group of participating in the killing of 107 civilians and have requested that the trial be conducted in absentia.
According to the indictment, the alleged crimes took place during a large-scale military and police operation in Gjakova. Prosecutors allege that civilians were separated, some men were killed and homes were looted and burned. The allegations remain subject to judicial proceedings.
International Calls for Accountability
The third anniversary of the Banjska attack has renewed international calls for those responsible to face justice.
The U.S. Embassy in Prishtina said it was joining Kosovo in honoring Afrim Bunjaku and reiterated its call for the perpetrators of the attack to be held accountable.
The British Embassy went further, explicitly naming Radoičić and calling on Serbian authorities to take the necessary steps to ensure that those responsible face justice without further delay.
“Accountability remains essential,” the embassy said, adding that those responsible, including Radoičić, had yet to face justice. It urged Serbian authorities to take the necessary steps to ensure accountability.
The calls came as Kosovo marked three years since the attack, which began when an armed group blocked a road near Banjska before engaging Kosovo Police officers. Bunjaku was killed during the ensuing confrontation.
Radoičić Remains in Serbia
Radoičić, a former deputy leader of the Serb List, left his political position following the Banjska attack. He is currently in Serbia, where Serbian authorities have not brought an indictment against him over the Banjska operation, according to reporting by Radio Free Europe. He has previously been subject to restrictions including a ban on leaving Serbia and a requirement to report to police.
The continuing presence of Radoičić and other Banjska defendants in Serbia has remained a point of contention between Kosovo and Serbia, while Western governments have repeatedly called for accountability for the 2023 attack.
