A hearing has begun at the Basic Court in Prishtina in the case of Jusuf Shujak, who is accused of war crimes against civilians committed in Gjakova during the Kosovo War. Shujak has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
According to the indictment filed by Kosovo’s Special Prosecution on January 24, 2025, Shujak is accused of acting together with members of Serbian police and military forces and of deliberately violating international humanitarian law protecting civilians. The charges include murder, forcible expulsion and the looting and destruction of civilian property.
According to the first count of the indictment, on May 10, 1999, Shujak, together with other uniformed and armed members of Serbian police and military forces, allegedly entered the home of the Dyla family. The indictment alleges that C.H. and I.L., who were temporarily sheltering there, were stopped in the yard, asked for their identification documents and then shot dead after being told, “So you are UÇK.” It further alleges that M.D., who remained inside the house, was also shot and killed.
The second count alleges that Shujak, together with Serbian police and military forces, forcibly expelled the remaining members of the Dyla family from their home and forced them to join columns of Albanian and other civilians being expelled from Gjakova. The third count alleges that Shujak and other Serbian forces looted the Dyla family’s home and several surrounding houses before setting them on fire, causing extensive material damage.
Shujak is charged as a co-perpetrator with the criminal offence of “war crimes against the civilian population,” under Article 142 in conjunction with Article 22 of the former Criminal Code of the Soc
