Lawyer Ivan Ninić has delivered a stinging critique of both the Serbian government and the recent judicial outcomes following the landmark sentencing of three Serbs for their involvement in the 2023 Banjska skirmish.
In a statement to KoSSev, Ninić described the first-instance verdict as more than just a legal defeat, calling it a “heavy civilizational and moral bankruptcy” of President Aleksandar Vučić’s policies.
Heavy Sentences in Prishtina
Last Friday, the Basic Court in Prishtina delivered a historic ruling against three of the 45 Serbs indicted by the Kosovo Special Prosecution. Blagoje Spasojević and Vladimir Tolić received life sentences, while Dušan Maksimović was sentenced to 30 years in prison.
While officials in Prishtina hailed the verdict as a victory for the constitutional order of Kosovo and a warning that attacks on the state will not go unpunished, the reaction from Belgrade has been notably muted. Aside from brief statements by the Office for Kosovo and SNS President Miloš Vučević, the Serbian leadership has remained largely silent.
“Architects of Chaos” Protected in Belgrade
Ninić argues that this silence is a deliberate abandonment of the men on the ground to protect those who orchestrated the operation.
“This verdict in Prishtina is the final act of a tragic farce where the infantry pays the price, while the architects of chaos sit in the front rows at state receptions in Belgrade,” Ninić stated.
The lawyer highlighted the stark contrast between the prisoners in Prishtina and Milan Radoičić, the former Vice President of the Serb List who publicly took responsibility for the Banjska event. Ninić pointed out that Radoičić remains a free man in Serbia, reportedly enjoying state protection and securing lucrative government contracts.
“While these three men face life behind bars, the ‘commander’ of the operation walks freely through Dedinje [Belgrade’s elite neighborhood] and wins million-dollar tenders. This is direct proof that the regime in Belgrade consciously sacrificed these people and discarded them once they became a political liability,” Ninić added.
A Message of Betrayal
Ninić further accused the Serbian Security Intelligence Agency (BIA) and the judiciary of “playing dead” regarding the investigation into who ordered, armed, and logistically supported the Banjska action. He warned that the message being sent to Serbs in North Kosovo is “chilling.”
“The message from Belgrade is: you will die for us, you will rot in prison for us, while we negotiate electricity quotas and license plates with your persecutors to help them finalize their statehood,” Ninić concluded.
The verdict remains a first-instance ruling and is expected to be appealed by the defense, who argue the decision was made under intense political pressure without individual criminal responsibility being clearly established.
