The Basic Court of Prishtina has announced that it will conduct the trial of Grujica Veljović, a suspect accused of war crimes against the civilian population, in his absence.
The decision follows a proposal by the Special Prosecution of the Republic of Kosovo, as Veljović remains inaccessible to the local justice authorities. This trial is part of an increasing trend of in absentia proceedings in Kosovo, made possible by legal amendments designed to address the backlog of war crimes cases where suspects have fled to other jurisdictions—primarily Serbia.
The Charges
Veljović is charged with “War Crimes Against the Civilian Population.” * Legal Basis: The indictment is based on the criminal law of the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY), which was in effect at the time of the alleged crimes, and is currently aligned with “Crimes Against Humanity” under the Penal Code of the Republic of Kosovo.
- Allegations: While specific details of the individual acts were not detailed in the court’s latest communiqué, such indictments typically involve killings, torture, or forced deportations of ethnic Albanian civilians during the 1998–1999 conflict.
A Call for Surrender
In an official statement, the court issued a public summons for Veljović to surrender to the competent authorities in Kosovo to face the charges in person.
“The Basic Court in Prishtina — Special Department, informs the public that it has scheduled the judicial review sessions… the trial will be held in absentia as the accused has been unreachable for the justice organs,” the court announced.
Context: The “In Absentia” Mechanism
The trial of Veljović follows several other high-profile in absentia cases in Prishtina. Under Kosovo’s revised Criminal Procedure Code:
- Prosecutors must prove they have made reasonable efforts to locate and inform the accused.
- The accused is provided with a court-appointed defense counsel to ensure a minimum standard of due process.
- Regional Tensions: While Kosovo sees these trials as a necessary path to justice for victims, organizations like the Humanitarian Law Center (HLC) and officials in Belgrade have expressed concerns about the lack of regional judicial cooperation, which often prevents defendants from physically appearing in court.
The court has invited anyone with information regarding Veljović’s whereabouts to contact the Kosovo Police.
