Millorad Gjokoviq sentenced to 10 years in prison for war crimes in Ozdrim, near Peja

The Basic Court in Pristina on Wednesday delivered its verdict against Millorad Gjokoviq, sentencing him to 10 years in prison for war crimes against the civilian population in the village of Ozdrim and surrounding villages in the Peja region. The news was reported by “Betimi për Drejtësi.”

The panel, presided over by Judge Donikë Shala-Abdyli with members Kushtrim Shyti and Vesel Ismaili, found that Gjokoviq, as a reserve police officer and together with other persons, violated the rules of international law on May 7, 1999, in Ozdrim. The sentence was handed down under the Criminal Law of the former Yugoslavia, and time spent in detention will be credited.

What the indictment said

According to the Special Prosecution's indictment, filed on June 23, 2023, the defendant, as a member of Serbian police and military forces, took part in the killing, beating, torture, arrest, holding in captivity and expulsion of dozens of Albanian civilians, as well as the looting and burning of houses. The indictment cited civilians killed during the attack on Ozdrim, wounded people who were later executed and buried in Lutogllavë, and persons still listed as missing. Media have not yet reported the court's full reasoning on each count of the indictment.

Arrest and trial

Gjokoviq, who according to the authorities is a Kosovo citizen from the village of Vitomiricë near Peja, was arrested in June 2022. During the trial, his defense contested the prosecution's evidence, claiming that witnesses had not identified him as the perpetrator of the crimes.

The verdict is a first-instance ruling and the parties have the right to appeal. In Kosovo, dozens of people have so far been convicted of war crimes by local and international institutions, while more than 1,500 people are still sought as missing from the 1998–1999 war.