Miloš Plesković has been found guilty by the Pristina Court and sentenced to 15 years in prison for the criminal offense of “War Crimes Against the Civilian Population.”
According to the Special Prosecution, on September 1, 1998, near the “Hoqa Mahalla” neighborhood, Plesković fired an automatic weapon (Kalashnikov), resulting in the killing of three civilians who were on their way to collect firewood in the forest.
The verdict was announced on July 31, 2025, by Judge Rrahman Beqiri. The accused will remain in detention until the verdict becomes final. Dissatisfied parties have the right to appeal to the Court of Appeals. The final statements in this case were given on July 28, 2025. The judicial panel was composed of Rrahman Beqiri (presiding judge), Violeta Namani-Hajra, and Kujtim Krasniqi (members).
It’s worth noting that during the initial hearing on June 21, 2024, Plesković pleaded not guilty.
What does the Prosecution File say?
According to the case file, during the Kosovo War (1998–1999) in Prizren, amid a non-international armed conflict between the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) and the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY) and Serbian police forces, Plesković, intentionally and in collaboration with others, violated international humanitarian law by killing civilians.
At that time, FRY and Serbian forces were stationed on the hills around Prizren due to the ongoing conflict.
The indictment states that on September 1, 1998, near Hoqa Mahalla, the victims — identified as R.D., B.D., and F.B. — together with Fevzi Cana, Xhenger Cana, and Bashkim Kastrati, went to their forest, about 300 meters from the neighborhood, to collect firewood. While walking, they encountered a group of 7–8 armed Serbian men in police and military uniforms, wearing armbands and headbands, and carrying automatic weapons. They ordered the group to stop and insulted them in Serbian.
Among them, the victims recognized Plesković, who fired his Kalashnikov at them. When the shooting began, victim B.D. pushed Xhenger Cana aside to protect him, saving the youngest member of the group.
The injured — Xhenger Cana, Fevzi Cana, and Bashkim Kastrati — managed to escape towards their homes, but victims B.D., R.D., and F.B. were killed on the spot. A week later, with permission from the Serbian police, the families recovered the mutilated bodies. According to the report, two victims were found stacked on top of each other, one with a severed leg, and the third victim was found decapitated.
Based on the evidence, the court found that Plesković, in joint action with others, committed “War Crimes Against the Civilian Population.”
Trials for War Crimes
Many former senior political and military leaders of the former Yugoslavia and Serbia have faced charges and sentences for massacres, war crimes, and crimes against humanity committed during the 1998–1999 war in Kosovo.
Former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milošević was indicted for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Croatia. His trial at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in The Hague ended without a verdict due to his death in detention on March 11, 2006.
Other high-profile convictions include:
- Nikola Šainović, former Deputy Prime Minister of the FRY, sentenced to 18 years 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, sentenced to 15 years.
- Nebojša Pavković, former Commander of the Third Army, sentenced to 22 years.
- Vladimir Lazarević, former Commander of the Pristina Corps, sentenced to 14 years.
- Sreten Lukić, former Head of the Serbian Ministry of Interior for Kosovo, sentenced to 20 years.
Meanwhile, former Serbian President Milan Milutinović was acquitted of war crimes during the Kosovo conflict.
