The Special Prosecutor’s Office of Kosovo announced on Tuesday that a person has been arrested in Prishtina on suspicion of involvement in the massacre of 34 Albanian civilians in the village of Jovica, Malisheva municipality.
The suspect, identified as R.M., is accused of committing the war crime of crimes against the civilian population. According to the prosecution, R.M. allegedly participated in the killings between March 29 and March 31, 1999, during the Kosovo war, in cooperation with members of Serbian police and military forces.
Authorities stated that they have secured material evidence against the suspect, including eyewitness and survivor testimonies.
“Within the legally prescribed timeframe, the Special Prosecutor’s Office will submit a request to the Basic Court in Pristina for the imposition of pre-trial detention,” the office said in a statement.
The Kosovo war (1998–1999) resulted in the deaths of over 13,000 civilians, with thousands more missing. Around 1,600 people remain unaccounted for, mostly from the Albanian community. Since the end of the conflict, more than 70 individuals have been convicted of war crimes by both domestic and international courts.
