Milorad Đoković, accused of war crimes against the civilian population in Ozdrim, Peja, and surrounding villages during the 1998-1999 Kosovo War, appeared in Pristina Court today. He faces charges including murder, raids, beatings, ill-treatment, arrest, torture, and cruel and inhumane treatment.
Four witnesses testified during today’s session. Two prosecution witnesses, Halil Gashi and Fadil Gashi, stated they were arrested on May 7, 1999, by the Serbian army but did not recognize the accused, Đoković. Halil Gashi testified he was held in Peja prison for seven months, unable to identify his captors due to being bound and forced to look down. Fadil Gashi confirmed his arrest with 11 others by the regular Serbian army but had “never seen” Đoković until today.
Defense Witnesses Offer Alibi and Denials
The defense presented two witnesses, Lidija Đoković and Borislav Đoković, relatives of the accused. Lidija Đoković, a family member through her husband, claimed she knew Milorad Đoković was not in Kosovo on May 7, 1999. She acknowledged the accusations against him, including the murder of “Y.”, but stated, “that is not true… an army that was masked went to do these things, and I don’t know who they were.” She admitted seeing the accused once in a reserve police uniform.
Borislav Đoković, a close cousin, testified he saw the accused on May 6, 5, 7, and 9, 1999. He later understood what Đoković had done during the war.
The trial continues tomorrow, June 25, 2025, in the Special Department of the Pristina Court.
Prosecution Allegations and Past Judgments
The prosecution’s indictment alleges that Đoković, along with Serbian military, police, and paramilitary forces, rounded up Ozdrim village in May 1999, leading to an offensive that resulted in the deaths of six Albanian civilians and the wounding of three others. The injured were allegedly executed and buried in Lutoglavë. Five other individuals were killed, their bodies never found.
The indictment further describes the arrest of about 40 people in the same operation, who were held in inhumane conditions at a garage for three days, deprived of food and water, and physically tortured. Only 12 were released; the remaining 28 were transported to Peja, then Leskovac in Serbia, where torture continued until their release after the war with Red Cross assistance.
Past war crimes trials at the ICTY have seen various Serbian and Yugoslav political and military leaders accused or convicted for crimes in Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Croatia. Notably:
- Slobodan Milošević, former President of Yugoslavia, accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity, died in custody in 2006.
- Milan Milutinović, former President of Serbia, was acquitted.
- Nikola Šainović, former Deputy Prime Minister of FR Yugoslavia, was sentenced to 18 years.
- Dragoljub Ojdanić, former Chief of General Staff of the Yugoslav Army, was sentenced to 15 years.
- Nebojša Pavković, former Commander of the Yugoslav Army’s Third Army, was sentenced to 22 years.
- Vladimir Lazarević, former Commander of the Pristina Corps of the Yugoslav Army, was sentenced to 14 years.
- Sreten Lukić, former head of the Serbian Interior Ministry staff for Kosovo, was sentenced to 20 years.
