The Basic Court in Pristina has ordered one month of pre-trial detention for two suspects accused of war crimes against the civilian population, approving a request submitted by the Special Prosecution of Kosovo.
According to the court, detention is necessary due to a real risk that the suspects could flee to avoid criminal prosecution. The court noted that both suspects are citizens of Serbia, increasing the likelihood that they could escape Kosovo’s jurisdiction and become unavailable to judicial authorities, thereby obstructing the criminal proceedings.
The court also found that, if released, the suspects could influence witnesses or interfere with evidence, concluding that pre-trial detention is currently the only adequate measure to ensure the proper and uninterrupted conduct of the investigation.
The ruling was issued after a detention hearing before the Special Department of the Basic Court in Pristina. The suspects, identified by the initials M.J. and M.B., are under investigation for the criminal offense of war crimes against the civilian population under Article 142, in conjunction with Article 22 of the former Criminal Code of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY).
The parties have the right to appeal the decision before the Court of Appeals of Kosovo through the Basic Court in Pristina.
