A preparatory hearing in the Banjska case is being held at the Basic Court of Prishtina, based on the indictment filed by the Special Prosecution of Kosovo on September 11 against 45 people, including Milan Radoicic. Most of them are inaccessible to Kosovo’s judicial system.
Three detainees and representatives of the injured party in the Banjska case are present in the courtroom.The prosecution confirmed that there are only three detainees present and is required to ensure the presence of all the accused, or for them to be tried in absentia.
While the prosecution said that amendments to the Criminal Code would allow trial in absentia, defence lawyer Ljubomir Pantovic stressed that there is no legal basis for such a thing.
The hearing comes a day after the anniversary of the attack in Banjska, in northern Kosovo, when a serb armed group attacked police and killed Sergeant Afrim Bunjaku. In the ensuing shootout, three Serbian attackers were also killed.
The indictment charges most of them with committing terrorism and serious offenses against the constitutional order and security of Kosovo.
The attack was claimed by Milan Radoicic, a former vice-president of lista Srpska, the largest party of Serbs in Kosovo, which has the support of official Belgrade. He and other members of the armed group are believed to be in Serbia.
There are only three people in Kosovo who were arrested during the Banjska attack: Vladimir TOLIC, Blagoje Spasojevic and Dusan Maksimovic.
Who are the defendants?
In the case of 45 people:
Milan Radoicic, Blagoje Spasojevic, Vladimir TOLIC, Dusan Maksimovic, Vladimir Radivojevic, Uglesha Jaredic, Milorad Jevtic, Vlastimir Andric, Aleksandar Milosevic, Lazar Schmigic, Velko Djordjevic, Vladimir Vucetic, Stefan Jovanovic, Milovan Krstovic, Uros Milic, Trajko Vasic, Danilo Vasic, Vukasin Jaredic, Sasa Peric, Nemanja Stankovic, Momcilo Vuckovic, Stefan Radojkovic, Marjan Radojevic, Marko Arsic, Zarko Cvetkovic, Krsto Damjanovic, Stefan Milosavljevic, Marko Savic, Aleksandar Jevremovic, Rados Gvozdic, Ivan Milic, Gojko Zubaq, Nemanja Radivojevic, Radak AJIC, Milos Milenkovic, Djordje Ballovic, Danijel Djukic, Danilo Virijevic, Aleksandar Tanaskovic, Milos Kragovic, Milan Nedelkovic, Nikola Illic, Vladan Illic, RAD D.O.O. and then there’s Stevie.
Kosovo’s Interior Minister, Xhelal Svecla, in an interview with Radio Free Europe (RFE / RL) on September 24, said that Kosovo’s laws allow him to be tried in absentia, and that Serbia “sooner or later will be forced to hand over Radoicic and others”.
Lubomir Pantovic, Spasojevic’s lawyer, told RFE / RL last week that the trial would be “difficult, serious and complex”, as the offences mentioned in the indictment are such.
His client, Blagoje Spasojevic, told police some details after the arrest, but said he did not know that an armed attack would take place on September 24, 2023. Meanwhile, at the suggestion of his lawyer, he later decided to defend himself by keeping quiet.
What does it say in the act?
The special prosecution of Kosovo charges the accused, among others, with terrorist offenses and offenses against the constitutional order and security of Kosovo.
Prosecutor Naim Abazi said the accused had different roles within the criminal group – from organizing and directing terrorist activities to financing and money laundering.
The indictment states that this group, through the use of violence with heavy weapons, attempted “to secede the northern part of the territory of the Republic of Kosovo, respectively municipalities inhabited by Serb majority, and to unite this part of the territory to the Republic of Serbia”.
Milan Radoicic has been identified as the leader of this group, who is said to have played an important role in the coordination and criminal activities. Radoicic is blacklisted by the United States and the United Kingdom for links to international organized crime and corruption. In Kosovo, Radoicic is also linked to the murder of a Serbian opposition politician and the intimidation of witnesses in a trial related to illegal construction.
In the indictment, the prosecution mentions 34 files with evidence, among which there are video recordings, analysis of electronic devices, various responses from Luxembourg, Bosnia and Herzegovina, banks and various institutions, witness statements, etc.
The investigation into the Banjska attack is also being led by the High Public Prosecutor’s office in Belgrade, which charges Radoicic with three criminal offences – including unauthorized production, possession, possession and trafficking of firearms and Explosives, and serious offences against public security. The other suspects are unknown persons (NN).
Kosovo authorities consider the Banjska attack a terrorist act and accuse Serbia of being behind it. Minister Svecla said there is intelligence that the same groups continue to train on the territory of Serbia and around the border between Kosovo and Serbia.
On the other hand, Serbia has on several occasions denied any involvement, while Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has stressed that for Belgrade this attack is not a terrorist attack, but is being investigated.
The international community has strongly condemned the Banjska attack and called for an investigation and for those responsible to be brought to justice./ REL/
