Halit Gashi, a survivor and witness, has raised concerns about the closing statement delivered by Milorad Gjoković’s defense lawyer after the Basic Court in Pristina decided to reopen the retrial of the defendant on war crimes charges.
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Gashi claims that the verdict is being delayed because of a witness who, according to him, gave accurate testimony and was an eyewitness to the killing and massacre of the Krasniqi family.
He said the court proceedings have lasted 1,489 days and that the court is once again postponing the case to question another witness, even though, according to him, she was very precise and directly witnessed the killing and massacre of the Krasniqi family.
Gashi described the move as unnecessary, stressing that Nurije Krasniqi has been questioned three times about the massacre of the Krasniqi, Morina and Shala families. According to him, during her first testimony, the defendant’s lawyers had not been prepared to question and cross-examine her, while during her second and third appearances, they had tried to identify minor details.
He also raised specific objections to the closing statement delivered on the 21st, last Tuesday. According to Gashi, every point, comma, word and sentence, whether narrow or broad in scope, presented by the defendant’s lawyer was untrue.
Gashi also said he had never received any transcripts from the court hearings held under Judge Valon Kurti. He said he began receiving these documents only after Donika Shala-Avdyli took over as presiding judge of the trial panel.
According to him, he has not been provided with any transcripts from the hearings held from the 8th of 2022 to the present day. For this reason, Gashi said he strongly suspects that the documents may contain something entirely different from the questions asked during the hearings.
He explained that after Valon Kurti stepped down as presiding judge of the trial panel and Donika Shala-Avdyli took over the role, transcripts began to be provided for every hearing held.
Gashi said he was ready to face justice and the truth at any time and at any moment. As for Gjoković, he expects the court to impose the punishment he deserves, namely the maximum sentence, and expressed disappointment that the ruling expected that day was not issued.
The Basic Court in Pristina decided to reopen the trial of Milorad Gjoković, who is accused of war crimes. The decision was prompted by the failure to locate a statement that witness Nurije Krasniqi had given to the Institute for War Crimes in Kosovo.
In the indictment, the prosecution alleges that during 1998-1999, in the village of Ozdrim in Peja and other villages in the region, Gjoković acted as a member of Serbian police and military forces. He is suspected of implementing measures that included the killing, raiding, beating, mistreatment, arrest, torture, cruel and inhumane treatment, enslavement, expulsion and deportation of dozens of Albanian civilians.
The indictment, drawn up on June 23, 2023, states that regular military forces entered from the northern part of Ozdrim via the Peja–Mitrovica regional road. Meanwhile, paramilitary groups mixed with members of special military units advanced from the western side of the village, toward Vitomirica.
According to the same document, these forces opened fire on the civilian population, killing six Albanian civilians: I.K., Sh.K., E.M., R.Sh., Z.Sh. and M.H.
The indictment states that three other civilians, A.G., H.G. and M.G., were wounded by gunfire and initially taken to Peja Hospital. They were then allegedly executed and buried in the village of Lutogllavë.
Five other Albanian civilians, R.K., Z.K., A.K., A.K. and A.Sh., were also allegedly killed during the offensive. Their bodies have not been found, and all five remain listed as missing persons.
