Trial proceedings against 21 people over the mass expulsion of Albanians from Kosovo

The Basic Court in Pristina is scheduled to hold an in absentia hearing for 21 defendants, who have been charged by the Special Prosecutor’s Office with committing the criminal offense of “war crimes against the civilian population” in connection with the expulsion of a large number of Albanians from Kosovo during the 1999 armed conflict.

According to the indictment, between January and June 1999, the defendants had authority and effective control over the units operating under their responsibility during the war in Kosovo.

The prosecution alleges that, through operational reports, internal communications and their presence in the conflict zones, the accused were aware of activities carried out by forces under their orders or supervision.

The indictment includes the destruction of property, the burning of homes and non-military infrastructure, the persecution and unlawful arrest of individuals on ethnic grounds, as well as armed offensives against settlements and cities with Albanian populations.

According to the charges, these acts resulted in the formation of forced columns of Albanian civilians, who were forcibly expelled from Kosovo toward border crossings with Albania and what was then called Macedonia.

The indictment refers to a total of 862,979 Albanian civilians expelled during this period of the war.

The prosecution also says that the defendants failed to take appropriate and reasonable measures within their scope of responsibility to stop these acts, prevent their perpetrators from carrying them out, or report the unlawful acts to the relevant judicial authorities.

The hearing will be held in the absence of the accused, while their guilt will be determined by the court based on the evidence and the rules of criminal procedure.