Kosovo Court Imposes Ten-Year Prison Term on Serb War Crimes Convict

In a ruling by the Pristina Basic Court, Kosovo Serb Milorad Djokovic received a ten-year jail term for his role in war crimes during the 1998-1999 Kosovo war. Prosecutors detailed his involvement with Serbian military and police units that besieged the village of Ozdrim in May 1999, resulting in six civilian deaths and three injuries, the latter allegedly executed at a local hospital and buried in Lutogllave. The court also noted that roughly 40 civilians were arrested; twelve endured three days of deprivation and torture before release, while the remaining twenty-eight were sent to Peja/Pec prison, later transferred to Leskovac prison in Serbia, and freed after Red Cross mediation.

Djokovic had maintained a not-guilty plea since his 2022 arrest, which had provoked criticism from Serbian officials. Following the judgment, Halit Gashi, a representative of the victims, condemned the sentence as insufficient to restore the lives lost.