The Special Prosecution of the Republic of Kosovo has filed an indictment in absentia at the Basic Court in Pristina against 21 suspects for the forcible expulsion of over 800,000 Albanian civilians from Kosovo during the war, specifically in the period January–June 1999.
The case prosecutor, Atdhe Dema, said at a press conference that the indictment was filed after years of intensive investigations.
According to Prosecutor Dema, the evidence collected shows that the 21 accused exercised control and effective authority over the armed forces and Serbian police in the respective areas across the entire territory of Kosovo, KosovaPress reports.
The indictment filed today at the Basic Court in Pristina states that, as a result of these actions, around 863,000 Albanian civilians were forcibly displaced.
“This indictment has been brought for war crimes against the civilian population related to events that occurred during the January–June 1999 period in the territory of Kosovo, within the context of the armed conflict and the war that took place at that time. According to the evidence collected during the preliminary investigations, there is well-founded suspicion that the defendants, who are 21 in number, while exercising control and effective authority over the armed forces in the respective areas across the entire territory of Kosovo — meaning the then Federal Army of the former Yugoslavia and the Serbian police — had knowledge or sufficient reason to know that members of those forces had committed actions strictly prohibited by international humanitarian law. These actions include the systematic destruction of civilian property, including the burning of houses and infrastructure, direct attacks against civilians and their settlements, persecution and arbitrary detentions on ethnic grounds, which ultimately resulted in the mass forced expulsion of the Albanian population from Kosovo to neighboring states. According to the indictment, these actions were part of a broader campaign that resulted in the forced displacement of around 863,000 Albanian civilians,” he said.
The case prosecutor, Atdhe Dema, also emphasized that the investigations were professional, independent, and supported by concrete evidence.
Since the indictment was filed for trial in absentia, Dema said that they have already requested arrest warrants and international wanted notices.
“We have requested arrest warrants and international wanted notices in time, so we have taken all necessary actions as required by our legal procedures; up to this moment, the suspects remain unreachable for the prosecution,” he said.
The Chief Prosecutor of the Special Prosecution of Kosovo, Blerim Isufaj, said that this indictment is an important step toward justice.
“With regard to the indictment that we have just filed in court today, we believe it represents an important step toward establishing justice and accountability for the suffering caused during the war in Kosovo. A great and dedicated effort has been made to ensure that the indictment is supported by evidence beyond any well-founded doubt, despite the fact that it has been filed in the absence of the defendants,” he said.
During this press conference, journalists also asked questions on other matters, but the Chief Prosecutor of the Special Prosecution, Blerim Isufaj, did not provide any answers on them.
