Serbia charges with war crimes a Kosovo citizen

Gazeta Express

01/07/2020 19:57

Serbia’s war crime prosecution office in Belgrade has filed an indictment against a Kosovo man accusing him on war crimes against civilian population during June-July 1999. The crimes were allegedly committed in the village of Rudica, Klina Municipality, the Prosecutor’s Office in Belgrade confirmed to Radio Free Europe (RFE).

Along with the indictment is the request for extension of the detention of the defendant Nezir Mehmetaj, who on 3 January was arrested at the border crossing in Merdare and has been in custody ever since. The spokesman for the Serbian War Crimes Prosecution, Vasilje Seratic, confirmed to RFE on 9 January that Mehmetaj had been remanded in custody for 30 days on suspicion of war crimes in the village of Rudica. In a written response to RFE, the Belgrade Prosecutor’s Office did not mention the details of the crime in question and what Mehmetaj is specifically accused of.

Mehmetaj’s lawyer, Sead Spahovic, told RFE that Mehmetaj was being charged with crimes committed after June 1999, when the war ended, and that the charges against him could not be linked to war crimes. He also said that added that there was no evidence in the prosecution’s case against Mehmetaj that his client had been involved in any war crime.