For the massacre in which over 100 Albanian men were killed, only one person stands accused before the court. On the anniversary of the start of this massacre, the Special Prosecution has stated that the case is still under investigation with 88 suspects involved.
At least 109 Albanian prisoners were killed by Serbian forces during the Dubrava prison massacre, which began 26 years ago and ended on May 24.
Only former prison guard Gavrillo Milosavljević is currently on trial at the Basic Court in Pristina, accused of participating in the killing of Albanian civilians.
Bislim Zogaj, a survivor of the massacre, says the memories remain haunting.
Zogaj recounts that he will never forget the moment he helped the wounded, nor the horror he witnessed.
“I saw prisoners with organs coming out of their backs from the wounds. I even held human brains in my hands. When you add the high number of wounded in a short time and the cries of those injured calling for help—it’s one of the most difficult experiences a person can endure,” said Zogaj.
He emphasized that no one has been convicted for the massacre committed by prison guards, armed civilians, and other members of Serbian forces.
“The emotions are very hard to bear because they mix between the pride of surviving and the pain of losing many friends. On top of that, there is the pain that no one has been punished for all that happened. I’ve said many times that this massacre is very different from the others that occurred across Kosovo. In many cases, perpetrators are unknown or could claim they were under threat. But in Dubrava, we were no threat to anyone—we had our hands tied,” Zogaj added.
The Special Prosecution announced that the trial of Gavrillo Milosavljević, who is also accused of mistreatment and participation in the Dubrava massacre, is nearing its end.
Arbnora Luta, spokesperson for the Special Prosecution of the Republic of Kosovo (PSRK), wrote on Facebook that investigations are still active for more than 80 other suspects.
“In the other case, involving all the suspects, we are at the final stage of investigations. So far, we have identified around 88 suspects and interviewed more than 400 witnesses. Until now, it has been impossible to file indictments against all suspects because the previous Criminal Procedure Code did not allow trials in absentia. The trial of Milosavljević, who is currently in custody, is expected to conclude within this month,” Luta wrote.
In addition to the massacre itself, surviving prisoners were forced to load the victims’ bodies onto trucks.
