Three years have passed since the terrorist attack in Banjska that killed Kosovo police officer Afrim Bunjaku, but the central question that remains unanswered no longer concerns the dynamics of that day. What is troubling now is how Milan Radoičić, who has himself publicly admitted that he led and organized the attack, still walks free in Serbia without facing justice.
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September 24, 2023, marked one of the most serious moments for Kosovo’s security since the end of the conflict. On that day, Sergeant Afrim Bunjaku lost his life in the line of duty, as an armed group attacked police forces in the Banjska area. However, on this third anniversary, attention cannot be limited simply to honoring his memory.
The event has turned into a real test of Serbia’s stance toward Kosovo and of the determination of international allies in confronting the culture of impunity. The main facts are clear and undeniable.
Radoičić himself admitted that he organized the group that carried out the attack and that he was responsible for the logistical aspects. Serbian authorities arrested him immediately after the event, but released him after only 24 hours. Since then, he has resided undisturbed in Serbia, and according to information made public this year, no indictment has been filed there in relation to the Banjska case.
Meanwhile, Kosovo has made progress on its judicial path. The Special Prosecution has indicted 45 individuals for the attack, and in April of this year, the Basic Court in Prishtina issued the first convictions for three of the defendants. This fact highlights even more the contrast between the commitment of Kosovo institutions and the complete judicial inertia in Serbia toward the person who has publicly assumed responsibility for organizing the attack.
Thus, the issue has now gone beyond Banjska itself. The real problem is the dangerous message conveyed by the absence of punishment. If an individual can openly admit that he led an armed operation inside Kosovo’s territory, be detained briefly by the state where he finds shelter, and then regain full freedom, then a legitimate question arises for international partners: how long will this state of affairs be allowed to continue?
On this third anniversary, that question has gained even greater weight. The United Kingdom has called on Serbian authorities to ensure that those responsible, including Radoičić, are brought to justice without further delay. The United States and Germany have expressed the same line, reconfirming the demand for accountability. Yet, after three years, political statements no longer seem sufficient.
What is needed now is tangible, concrete pressure. The Western countries that support Kosovo have diplomatic and political instruments at their disposal to make clear that inaction toward the perpetrators of the Banjska attack cannot be treated as a simple bilateral issue between Pristina and Belgrade. One such instrument would be linking the question of justice for Banjska to Serbia’s path toward the European Union.
Belgrade cannot claim European integration and benefit from cooperation with the West, while refusing to provide explanations for a terrorist attack against the Kosovo Police. This does not require justice to be used as a bargaining chip in political deals. On the contrary, since the core is the rule of law, international partners should insist on verifiable results: a serious investigation, the filing of an indictment, the conduct of a judicial process, and the establishment of responsibility for all those who committed or organized the crimes.
Such an approach was also reflected in an amendment submitted to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in June 2026. The document expressed deep concern about the lack of accountability for Banjska and the fact that Radoičić, despite publicly admitting his role, remains free in Serbia. The amendment called for immediate cooperation by Serbia and for the perpetrators to be brought to justice, whether through extradition to Kosovo or through criminal prosecution within Serbian territory.
This mechanism should also be at the center of discussions on this anniversary. If Serbia refuses to hand Radoičić over to Kosovo, then it is obliged to try him itself. If it fails even in this step, then its international allies must demand political accountability and concrete measures for this inaction. There cannot be one standard for Kosovo and another for Serbia.
Kosovo has taken legal steps against the persons it had available, courts have issued rulings, and the prosecution has indicted dozens of those implicated. Meanwhile, Serbia, where Radoičić is located, has still not initiated any criminal proceedings against him for the events in Banjska. This situation becomes even more complicated considering the position that Radoičić had in Serbian political structures in Kosovo.
He is not an anonymous figure for the institutions in Belgrade or for international ones. He was deputy chairman of the Serbian List and a person with close ties to the centers of power in Serbia. After the attack, he resigned from his post, while the United States and the United Kingdom had previously imposed sanctions on him. Precisely for these reasons, the attack in Banjska cannot be treated as a simple criminal incident.
For Kosovo, it is inseparably linked to national security, sovereignty, and the functioning of institutions in the northern part of the country. For the international community, it has to do with regional stability, respect for the law, and the credibility of any effort to normalize relations between Kosovo and Serbia. If the main organizers of such an attack can escape responsibility, then an extremely dangerous precedent is created: violence is condemned with words, while the perpetrators continue to live quietly.
That is why the third anniversary of Banjska must be used as a moment to put a more emphatic demand before the international factor. It is not enough simply to request “justice from Serbia.” It must be made clear that impunity brings real consequences. The European Union can place this topic directly on the table of dialogue with Belgrade. The USA, the UK, and Germany can insist on tangible measures and concrete deadlines for the investigation and criminal prosecution of those responsible. Furthermore, European institutions must treat the lack of accountability as a core rule-of-law issue and not as a problem that can be postponed indefinitely.
Afrim Bunjaku did not fall victim to an ordinary incident. He was killed in the line of duty, while defending his country’s security institution. Three years later, beyond memorials and commemorative speeches, the unbreakable obligation remains that those responsible face justice. Kosovo has given its own answer through its judicial system.
Now it is Serbia’s turn. And if Belgrade continues to take no action, then the question is no longer simply why Serbia is not putting Radoičić before justice. The real question is what measures Western partners are prepared to take to convince Serbia that Banjska cannot remain without justice.
