Today at 3:00 p.m., the Basic Court in Prishtina will deliver the verdict in the “Banjska” case, in which the defendants are Blagoje Spasojevic, Vladimir Tolic, and Dusan Maksimovic. To date, none of those responsible has been prosecuted in Serbia.
Meanwhile, in the closing statement to be presented today at the Basic Court, the case prosecutor, Naim Abazi, has requested life imprisonment for all three defendants. Life imprisonment was also requested by the defence lawyers of the police officers injured in the terrorist attack, as well as by the lawyer representing the family of Sergeant Afrim Bunjaku, who was killed on 24 September 2023.
At the beginning of the trial, Blagoje Spasojevic, Vladimir Tolic, and Dusan Maksimovic denied the charges brought by the Special Prosecution.
However, during the hearing on 20 April, when the defendants and their defense delivered their closing statements, Spasojevic said he had considered pleading guilty, but added that he “cannot say I am a terrorist.”
In Banjska, Zvecan, on 24 September 2023, the Kosovo Police came under a terrorist attack.
As a result of the attack, 50-year-old police sergeant Afrim Bunjaku from Vushtrri was killed, while police officer Alban Rashiti was injured, and Clirim Shaqiri, Mirsad Kryeziu, and Sedat Dushi were also wounded.
Nearly a year later, on 11 September, the Special Prosecution filed an indictment, with Milan Radoicic named as the main accused and leader of the group.
According to the indictment, the defendants are charged with “committing a terrorist act” and “serious offences against the constitutional order and security of the Republic of Kosovo.” Some are also accused of financing the group and money laundering.
Prosecutor Naim Abazi stated during the proceedings that the defendants had different roles within the criminal group, ranging from organizing and directing terrorist activities to financing and money laundering.
The indictment further states that the group, through the use of heavy weaponry and violence, attempted “to detach the northern part of the territory of the Republic of Kosovo, respectively the municipalities inhabited by a Serb majority, and to annex it to the Republic of Serbia.”
Last week, Stefan Radulovic, a suspect in the Banjska terrorist attack, was arrested.
Serbia has still not extradited those responsible for the Banjska attack, despite repeated requests from Kosovo authorities and several international partners.
