The Special Prosecutor’s Office announced on December 27, 2024, that it has filed an indictment against D.C., D.N., M.SH., N.S., and S.J. for war crimes against civilians committed during the last war in Kosovo.
According to the Prosecutor’s Office, the accused individuals, along with other unidentified members of the criminal group, participated in the murder of eight Albanian civilians in the Gjilan region.
The indictment further reveals that the accused, along with others from the group dressed in irregular uniforms of the Serbian police and army, committed the murders of civilians. One of the eight victims was reportedly placed in a pile of wood and burned alive.
The actions of the accused also included harassment, beatings, looting, and the forced displacement of the Albanian civilian population from their homes.
“The five accused are suspected, based on solid evidence, of participating as part of a criminal group in the murder of eight (8) Albanian civilians in the Gjilan region during the war in Kosovo. Specifically, two of these victims were placed in a pile of firewood, where one of them was burned alive. They also physically assaulted, tortured, looted, and expelled the Albanian civilian population. These actions are in violation of domestic laws, the laws of war, and the Geneva Conventions and Additional Protocols,” the Special Prosecutor’s Office stated.
These actions are classified as war crimes against civilians.
Two of the accused, M. SH. and N. S., were found to be in possession of firearms during raids, thus committing the offense of illegal possession of weapons.
In relation to massacres and other war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Kosovo by Serbian and Yugoslav forces during the 1998-1999 war, senior political and military leaders from the remaining Yugoslavia and Serbia have been tried, and some convicted.
Slobodan Milošević, former President of Yugoslavia, was accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by Serbian and Yugoslav forces in Kosovo, as well as in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia. His trial before the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in The Hague ended without a verdict, as he died in custody on March 11, 2006.
Milan Milutinović, former President of Serbia, was acquitted of charges related to war crimes during the Kosovo conflict.
Nikola Šainović, former Deputy Prime Minister of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, was sentenced to 18 years in prison for crimes against humanity and violations of the laws or customs of war.
Dragoljub Ojdanić, former Chief of the General Staff of the Yugoslav Army, was sentenced to 15 years in prison for crimes against humanity.
Nebojša Pavković, former Commander of the Third Army of the Yugoslav Army, was sentenced to 22 years in prison for crimes against humanity and violations of the laws or customs of war.
Vladimir Lazarević, former Commander of the Priština Corps of the Yugoslav Army, was sentenced to 14 years in prison for crimes against humanity.
Sreten Lukić, former head of the Serbian Ministry of Internal Affairs staff for Kosovo, was sentenced to 20 years in prison for crimes against humanity and violations of the laws or customs of war.
/Kallxo.com/ RKS.NEWS
