Kosovo’s Special Prosecution has issued international arrest warrants for Milan Radoičić and 19 other individuals suspected of committing war crimes in Gjakova in May 1999.
Between May 7 and May 10, 1999, more than 300 ethnic Albanian civilians and members of other communities were forcibly expelled from their homes in Gjakova. 106 civilians were reportedly separated and executed at a location known as “Ura e Taliqit”.
Following the war, the bodies of the victims were discovered in a mass grave in Batajnica, Serbia.
The Basic Court in Pristina issued the arrest warrants at the request of the Special Prosecution, which cited evidence that the suspects, together with Serbian military and police forces, systematically raided homes, separated men from women and children, and executed civilians.
The suspects include:
- Milovan Kovačević
- Radomir Čolić
- Miloš Đošan
- Miloš Došan
- Predrag Ristić
- Srdan Krstić
- Ljubiša Obradović
- Živko Sarić
- Spaso Sarić
- Lazar Drašković
- Zvonko Ristić
- Darko Gligorijević
- Čedomir Božović
- Vladimir Božović
- Robert Dobrunaj
- Radomir Raković
- Ljubiša Raković
- Miloš Šćepanović
- Milan Radoičić
- Svetislav Gligorijević
- Tomica Avramović
They are charged under the former Yugoslav Criminal Code (Article 142) and the current Kosovo Penal Code (Article 146) for war crimes against the civilian population.
The prosecution highlights that many civilians were detained in makeshift prisons, deprived of food, hygiene, and healthcare, and later transferred to prisons in Serbia where they were released only after June 1999 with the help of international organizations.
In addition to killings, the Prosecution notes that widespread looting and arson were committed against Albanian-owned properties in Gjakova, causing massive material damage.
The court documents state that the suspects have no registered address in Kosovo, making summons delivery impossible and justifying the issuance of arrest warrants to secure their presence before justice.
“In such circumstances, an arrest warrant is required under Article 175(1) of the Kosovo Criminal Procedure Code until the suspects are apprehended,” the decision reads.
