The Basic Court in Prishtina held an initial hearing on Thursday in the war crimes trial of Ivica Rajković and Dragan Denić, who are being tried in absentia for crimes against the civilian population during May 1999.
Special Prosecutor Florije Salihu-Shamolli read the indictment, detailing the charges against the accused. Given their absence, both the prosecution and presiding judge Rrahman Beqiri confirmed that all necessary legal steps had been taken to ensure their presence.
The defense attorneys, Ljubinko Todorović and Milka Milosavljević, acknowledged receipt of the case documents and were informed that they have 30 days to contest the evidence and charges.
The Kosovo Special Prosecution filed the indictment on November 27, 2023, accusing Rajković and Denić of participating, as members of Serbia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs forces, in the forced expulsion, looting, and physical and psychological abuse of Kosovo Albanian civilians in Prishtina municipality during the NATO bombing campaign. The indictment also alleges their involvement in sexual violence against an Albanian woman.
The defendants are charged with “Crimes Against Humanity” under Article 143, paragraph 1, subparagraphs 1.6 and 1.7, in conjunction with Article 31 of Kosovo’s Criminal Code.
