Pristina, Kosovo — a court in Kosovo On Friday, two ethnic Serbs were sentenced to life in prison and another to 30 years in a 2023 clash between police and a group of Serb gunmen that left four dead and tension increased in the unstable Balkan region.
The Basic Court in Pristina, the capital of Kosovo, convicted the three men of violating the country’s constitutional order and inciting terrorist activities aimed at breaking up and uniting predominantly ethnic Serb northern Kosovo. Serbia.
Judge Ngadenzim Arani said, “Through this well-organized plan, they attempted to separate municipalities in the north from Kosovo and annex them to Serbia.”
In clashes in September 2023, heavily armed Serbs set up barricades in northern Kosovo before engaging in an hour-long shootout with Kosovo police. Banjska village, A Kosovar police officer and three gunmen were killed in the clashes.
Kosovo has accused Serbia of arming and supporting the group. Belgrade denied the allegations and said that the people acted of their own free will. Serbia does not recognize Kosovo’s 2008 declaration of independence.
A total of 45 people were initially charged but trials were held only for three people who were in custody. Among those still at large are the group’s leader Milan Radošić, a politician and wealthy businessman with ties to Serbia’s ruling Populist Party and President Aleksandar Vucic.
serbia Radočić was detained for some time After the shooting, he was charged with criminal conspiracy and illegal possession of weapons. Despite pressure from US and EU authorities, Radočić was not prosecuted. He has been sanctioned by the US and UK for alleged financial criminal activity.
The three gunmen who were tried in Kosovo were wounded during the clashes and arrested in Banjska, while the others fled to Serbia. Blagoje Spasojević, one of the defendants, told the court that “I am not a terrorist.”
Blagojevich said during the trial, “It (the incident) was the biggest mistake of my life… but I didn’t kill anyone.”
Lawyers have argued that prosecutors failed to prove charges against their clients. He said he would appeal Friday’s decision, which he described as “very harsh.”
More than 10,000 people died during 1998-99 war in kosovo It erupted when ethnic Albanian separatist rebels began an insurgency against Serbian rule. Belgrade’s brutal response prompted NATO to intervene to end the conflict.
Washington and most EU countries recognize Kosovo’s statehood, while Russia and China support Serbia’s claim to the territory. Belgrade and Pristina have been told they must normalize ties to step up their efforts to join the EU.
