The Basic Court in Prishtina opened the main judicial proceedings today for the September 24, 2023, terrorist attack in Banjska, Zveçan, with prosecutors seeking life imprisonment for the three accused: Vladimir Tolić, Blagoje Spasojević, and Dušan Maksimović.
In his opening remarks, Special Prosecutor Naim Abazi stated that the evidence clearly shows the attack was meticulously planned and organized, with the aim of undermining Kosovo’s constitutional order, threatening territorial integrity, and creating conditions for secession of northern municipalities.
“Without the actions of this group, Kosovo’s internal security would not have been put in such grave danger,” Abazi emphasized, presenting video recordings, photographs, official documents, and intelligence materials as evidence.
Among the most significant pieces of evidence is a video recording from October 13, 2021, taken in Raška, Serbia, which reportedly shows Serbian state officials, including Milan Radoičić, the alleged leader of the armed group, in a meeting that prosecutors claim was part of the plot’s coordination.
Prosecutors also introduced images of heavy weaponry — including automatic rifles, sniper weapons, grenades, mines, and other explosives — as well as encrypted radios and satellite phones allegedly used in the planning and execution of the assault.
The Special Prosecutor’s Office has charged a total of 45 individuals, including Radoičić, who remains at large and has publicly admitted to leading the attack. He, along with 42 others, is currently being tried in absentia.
Lawyers representing the families of the victims, including that of Sergeant Afrim Bunjaku, who was killed in the attack, also demanded life sentences for the present defendants and full trials for the others who remain fugitives.
The defense has denied all allegations. Spasojević claimed he “did not attack anyone,” while attorneys for all three accused have criticized the indictment, calling it politically motivated and lacking credibility.
Despite these claims, the prosecution remains firm, citing drone footage, topographic maps with color-coded positions, and visual confirmation of attacks with rocket launchers on Kosovo police as solid proof of the defendants’ involvement.
The next hearing in the high-profile case is scheduled for June 9, 2025, at 09:30 AM.
