The Director General of the Kosovo Police, Gazmend Hoxha, has described the court’s decision to sentence three Serbs involved in the Banjska case—two to life imprisonment and one to 30 years in prison—as a fair verdict.

In an exclusive interview for KosovaPress, immediately after the ruling, he said that despite today’s verdict, justice is not complete until all those involved in the terrorist attack in Banjska of Zvecan on September 24, 2023, are brought to justice.

“We assets that the courts have done their job. It has been, I think, a fair and just process, because that is how the institutions of the Republic of Kosovo are built. Now we will see whether there will be an appeal against this verdict. Most likely, the lawyers will appeal. However, for us this is a correct decision, and we hope that other persons who are involved in this process, in the Banjska case, will as soon as possible be arrested and handed over to our security institutions, because the Banjska process is not complete and justice does not receive its full verdict until all those who took part in the Banjska confrontation are convicted—those who were part of a terrorist group led by Radoicic, supported, financed, trained, and logistically and politically backed by the Government of Serbia,” he told KosovaPress.

The Basic Court in Prishtina today issued a conviction sentencing Blagoje Spasojevic and Vladimir Tolic to life imprisonment for their involvement in the terrorist attack in Banjska. The third defendant, Dusan Maksimovic, was sentenced to 30 years in prison.

In the same interview, Hoxha said that stronger pressure is needed from the international community on Serbia to hand over the remaining suspects in the case.

“I think this is a step, a good step toward complete justice. However, as I said earlier, justice will be achieved only when all those involved, including the main criminal who led this terrorist group, Radoicic, will be behind bars and receive the deserved punishment. Otherwise, this is only a first step, and there is still a lot of work ahead. In this case, there must be strong pressure from the international community and also from our institutions, so that until they are handed over, we do not stop persistently demanding that they face justice before our institutions,” he added.

The Director of the Kosovo Police, Gazmend Hoxha, said that September 24, 2023, was a difficult day for the Republic of Kosovo.

“It was a very difficult day for the Republic of Kosovo, September 24, 2023. I consider it the most serious attack Kosovo has faced in the post-war period, not excluding the Ibër-Lepenc attack, but this was a direct, severe attack against our statehood, sovereignty, and security institutions, with the aim of annexing that part of Kosovo and creating a new reality where terrorists would rule that area. However, I believe that the Kosovo Police and our security institutions, especially our officers on the ground that day, did an excellent job by defeating this terrorist group both militarily and politically, proving that our institutions are mature and democratic, restoring full control in the northern part of Kosovo, and arresting those who are being tried today, while completely clearing the terrain where a very serious situation had been created for our institutions,” he added.

As a result of the terrorist attack in Banjska of Zvecan, police sergeant Afrim Bunjaku, aged 50, was killed, while three other police officers—Çlirim Shaqiri, Mirsad Kryeziu, and Sedat Dushi—were injured.

For the family of what is now considered a hero of Kosovo, as well as his three colleagues, Director Hoxha delivered a strong message.

“I think the message delivered by justice today is a satisfaction for the family of our colleague, Afrim Bunjaku. As we said before, we have lost a sergeant, but we have gained a hero. That hero never dies; he will always remain in our memory, in our minds, and in the collective remembrance of both the people and the police. We send a message to our officers to continue working with honor and respect, fulfilling the sacred duty of protecting our country, our borders, and our democracy. We have no other place to go—this is our Kosovo, and we must work hard to ensure it is never endangered, now or in the future. We inherited this country from our ancestors, and it is our duty to leave future generations a safer and more prosperous Kosovo,” he concluded.

The verdict for the three defendants was announced by the presiding judge, Ngadhnjim Arrni.

Spasojevic and Tolic were not present in the courtroom when the verdict was delivered, while Dusan Maksimovic was present.

The indictment against them was filed on September 11, 2024, nearly a year after the Banjska attack. Among the main accused is also Milan Radoicic, identified as the leader of the group, who has taken responsibility for the attack. He is currently in Serbia.