Brussels reminds Belgrade: Perpetrators of the Banjska attack must face justice

The European Union has reiterated the need for Serbia to bring to legal responsibility the persons implicated in the terrorist act in Banjska, expressing disappointment that even after three years, the suspects on Serbian soil have still not been brought before a court.

Marking three years since the serious event of September 24, 2023, in Banjska, officials in Brussels have again underscored Belgrade’s obligation to criminally prosecute the suspects for their role in this operation.

A spokesperson for the European institutions said that the High Representative for Foreign Policy, Kaja Kallas, addressed this topic in her latest meeting with Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić during the sessions of the UN General Assembly.

“We expect the Serbian side to fully engage through the existing mechanism for legal cooperation. This issue has been pending for a long time and requires an immediate solution from Serbia,” the EU spokesperson stressed.

He added that the European Commission has been consistent in its call for the perpetrators of this act to receive the punishment they deserve.

Likewise, the spokesperson conveyed the Union’s regret that to date, the authorities in Belgrade have taken no concrete action to apprehend and initiate criminal proceedings, with adequate charges, against the persons under investigation who are within the borders of Serbia.

For the EU, the event of September 24, 2023, in Banjska was a direct threat to the security and stability of the entire region.

Brussels’ continued demand that those accused of this attack face justice remains one of the unresolved points in the triangle of relations between Pristina, Belgrade, and the European Union itself.