At the Basic Court in Pristina, the closing statement of defense lawyer Milos Dellevic was heard, representing Vladimir Tolic – accused of involvement in the terrorist attack in Banjska, Zvecan, on September 24, 2023.
Tolic also addressed the court, denying involvement and stating that he “set off without knowing what would happen,” according to KosovaPress. All three defendants – Vladimir Tolic, Blagoje Spasojevic and Dusan Maksimovic – were present at the hearing.
Tolic denied participating in the attack, although he admitted he was in the village that day.
“I was in Banjska that day and I have never denied that. But everything I am being accused of, and what is described in the indictment as my actions and participation, is not true. I did not know what would happen that day. I set off blindly because no one told me where I was going. I was surprised when we ended up in the village of Banjska. I could not have assumed it would lead to tragedy, nor did I want to take part in it, let alone cause any violence. That day I was seriously wounded and was on the verge of life and death. At that moment, I could not even provide myself with first aid, as I was alone, and later there was no doctor who operated on me and saved my life,” he told the trial panel.
The accused told the court that he is not responsible, but those at large are.
“Today I hear that I am a terrorist, that I am responsible for the death of a police officer, that I could have severed the north of Kosovo. I ask: where is the evidence for all this? No one has said that I fired a weapon, no one has said that I attacked or injured anyone. No one has said that I had any command or role. Since there is no such claim and no evidence, I ask you: should I be tried for something I did not do? And should I be punished for something for which those at large are responsible?” he added.
Defense lawyer Milos Dellevic also delivered his closing arguments, claiming that Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti influenced the situation in the north through his policies.
“With the arrival of Albin Kurti to power, we reached a situation where, through his policies, he sought to abolish institutions of the Republic of Serbia. As an initial trigger, the license plate crisis led to this armed conflict in Banjska. In northern Kosovo, citizens were able to drive vehicles with license plates issued under the Republic of Serbia. The policies of the government in Pristina aimed to stop this, which led to reactions from the Serbian community in the north. In my view, the first mistake was the withdrawal of Kosovo Police officers of Serbian nationality, who did not want to implement the government’s policy on license plates,” he said.
He also blamed certain media outlets, but stressed that “the subject of this trial is not the political situation.”
“The subject of this trial should be exclusively the concrete actions of these three defendants present in court today. Based on the indictment of the Special Prosecution and the evidence presented, I am convinced we have not reached that point. The indictment describes the event and the group, stating that the leader was Milan Radoicic, and that members of the group include Vladimir Tolic, with the aim of destabilizing and damaging the constitutional order of Kosovo,” he stated.
According to the defense, there is no evidence that his client intended to commit terrorism. Although Tolic was present in the village that day, the lawyer argued he did not commit the offense.
The September 2023 attack left 50-year-old police sergeant Afrim Bunjaku dead, while police officer Alban Rashiti was injured, along with Clirim Shaqiri, Mirsad Kryeziu and Sedat Dushi.
Nearly a year after the attack, the Special Prosecution filed an indictment naming Milan Radoicic as the leader of the group.
According to the indictment, the defendants are charged with committing a terrorist offense and serious crimes against the constitutional order and security of Kosovo. Some are also accused of financing the group and money laundering.
The trial involves Vladimir Tolic, Blagoje Spasojevic and Dusan Maksimovic, all of whom have pleaded not guilty.
Last week, Stefan Radulovic was arrested on suspicion of involvement.
Serbia has yet to hand over those responsible for the Banjska attack, despite ongoing requests from Kosovo authorities and international allies.
