The Basic Court in Pristina has ordered one-month pretrial detention for D.N., a Serbian national, suspected of committing the criminal offense of “War Crimes against the Civilian Population.”
D.N., accused of being the commander of the police substation in Zhegër, Gjilan, allegedly failed to take any action to prevent the killing of 13 members of the Hyseni and Shabani families in the Hyseni family home.
“There is reasonable suspicion that the defendant, in his capacity as Commander of the Zhegër Police Substation, violated the rules of international law, specifically Articles 86 and 87 of the 1977 Additional Protocol I to the 1949 Geneva Convention. In his command role, he failed to take any action to prevent or punish those responsible for crimes committed against the civilian population of that village by Serbian forces and paramilitaries on April 30, 1999. These crimes, committed by defendant S.A., resulted in the deaths of 13 members of the Hyseni and Shabani families in the Hyseni household. Even though he was notified via a letter by the victims D.H. and I.H., the defendant, as commander, failed to act within his competencies and left the scene without taking the necessary measures to prevent, stop, or report the crimes for investigation or prosecution, thereby consenting to the harmful consequences,” the court statement reads.
The court noted that the seriousness and complexity of the alleged offense justify pretrial detention as necessary, and that any alternative measure would be insufficient to ensure the success of the criminal procedure.
The court also emphasized that there is reasonable suspicion that D.N. might flee if released, given that he is a Serbian national, which could make him unreachable for the next stages of the criminal proceedings.
D.N. was arrested two days ago at the Dheu i Bardhë border crossing.
