The Basic Court in Prishtina has found Slaviša Filić guilty of war crimes and sentenced him to 15 years in prison. The verdict was delivered in absentia.
The judgment was announced on Thursday by the presiding judge, Violeta Namani-Hajra.
Details of the Allegations
Slaviša Filić is charged with, as a member of the Serbian State Security, along with two other officials, taking Dr. Hafir Shala to the State Security facility in Prishtina. There, Shala was allegedly subjected to beatings and torture, and his fate has been unknown ever since that day, as reported by “Betimi për Drejtësi.”
Judge Namani-Hajra stated that the prison sentence will be executed once the verdict becomes final. Filić is also obligated to pay 200 euros for court costs and 100 euros to the fund for compensating crime victims.
Indictment Details
On September 15, 2023, the Special Prosecution of the Republic of Kosovo filed an indictment in absentia against Slaviša Filić. The indictment alleges that Filić, as a member of the Serbian State Security, along with two other unidentified officials (all three dressed in civilian clothes), on April 10, 1998, stopped a car in Drenas containing Hetem Sinani, Shaban Haziraj, and Hafir Shala. According to the indictment, these individuals were then identified by the officers.
The indictment states that Filić and the two other officials took Dr. Shala to the State Security facility in Prishtina, where the doctor was subjected to beatings and torture, and his fate remains unknown since that day.
For these actions, Filić was charged with the criminal offense of “War crimes against the civilian population” under Article 142 related to Article 22 of the Penal Law of the Socialist Federative Republic of former Yugoslavia.
