Group of intellectuals” case: nine suspects in the killing and disappearance of civilians

The Special Prosecution Office of the Republic of Kosovo has requested that the Basic Court in Pristina, Special Department, order the pretrial detention of nine people suspected of “war crimes against the civilian population.”

According to the request by the SPO, obtained by “Betimi për Drejtësi,” the suspects are Dragan Gjuriq, Millosh Raskoviq, Miroslav Radojeviq, Radisav Raskoviq, Sasha Gjukiq, Svetislav Gjukiq, Vukoje Lepoviq, Rangel Raskoviq, known by the nickname “Lane,” and Dalibor Gjuriq.

The prosecution links them to the “Group of intellectuals” case and suspects them of involvement in the killing and disappearance of 23 civilians in Zubin-Potok. According to the case file, the civilians were detained, robbed and mistreated before being executed. The suspects then attempted to burn the bodies with gasoline and mutilated them with blunt objects, “Betimi për Drejtësi” reports.

The document states that on April 19, 1999, during the war in Kosovo, Dragan Gjuriq, Milomir Radojeviq, Millosh Raskoviq, Miroslav Radojeviq, Radisav Raskoviq, Sasha Gjukiq, Svetislav Gjukiq, Vladan Tomaseviq, Vukoje Lepoviq, Rangel Raskoviq, known as “Lane,” Jovica Utviq and Dalibor Gjuriq, together with other people known to the prosecution, were members of the military Territorial Defense. Mobilized and armed with various weapons, they were active in the villages of Zubin-Potok. At a place called Melaja, in Kalludër i Vogël, they detained 23 Albanian civilians, whom they initially robbed and mistreated and then killed.

The victims killed at that location were Adem Ademi, Demir Ahmeti, Idriz Rreci, Adem Beqiri, Hasan Dervari, Sahit Barani, Fatmir Fazliu, Ali Haliti, Bekim, Naser, Sali, Samir, Selim, Shaqir, Tahir, Gjemajl, Gjevdet and Zymer Meziu, as well as Faton, Mahit, Nazmi, Shaip and Shkelzen Ujkani.

The prosecution’s request states that 20 of the victims remain missing, while three have been identified through DNA analysis.

According to the case file, the suspects, acting jointly with other identified individuals, buried the victims at the end of a meadow in Melaja, near the river, in Kalludër i Vogël, with the aim of concealing traces of the crime.

The prosecution alleges that on April 20, 1999, at around 10:00 a.m., they returned to the same location. The bodies of 13 people who had been killed were exhumed, and an attempt was made to burn them with gasoline. After the fuel ran out, the corpses were mutilated with axes, hammers and pickaxes, and were then buried near the river, around 200 meters from the site of the killings.

The case file also mentions the shooting deaths, on April 18, 1999, of Sahit and Sadete Feka, Deli Isufi and Rabije Isufi.

After the killings, the defendants and other identified individuals buried the victims in the village of Jabukë in Zubin-Potok. They separated witness and injured party Muharrem Feka from the group, physically assaulted him and then ordered him to place his hands behind his head and continue toward the mountain. According to the case file, they fired in his direction and wounded him in the head and chest.

Feka fell and lost consciousness, but heard the gunshots. When he regained consciousness, his family members and the police were no longer at the scene. In serious condition, he continued through the mountains to the village of Germovë, where he received first aid from a neighbor who was a medical technician.