Kosovo: Families of Nine Serbs Held in 'Dosije 23' Case Protest Daily

Relatives of nine Serbs from the Zubin Potok area in northern Kosovo, held since 27 September on suspicion of war crimes, have been protesting daily in front of the municipal building, and on Saturday, 14 November, Miodrag Linta, president of the Association of Serbs from the Region, called on international bodies to press for their release. Linta said the EU, KFOR, UNMIK, the OSCE and other organisations were obliged to react urgently so that the men could defend themselves while free, Tanjug reported.

What the families are asking for

The protests began on 10 November, when members of the Đukić and Đurić families gathered in Zubin Potok, joined briefly by mayor Miloš Perović and municipal staff, Novosti and Nova reported. The families plan to gather every day from 13:00 to 14:00 until 25 December, when the current detention expires. They say they are asking for a fair trial and for the men to be released pending trial if the law allows it. One woman told reporters that her 90-year-old father and her husband were arrested on the same day. Defence lawyers say there is no evidence of guilt.

The 'Dosije 23' war crimes case

The nine were arrested in an operation by Kosovo prosecutors and police, the largest single detention of Serbs in Kosovo over suspected war crimes. According to the prosecution's allegations, reported by N1 citing RTS and Albanian-language media, members of the Territorial Defence on 19 April 1999 detained a group of Albanian civilians at Mala Kaludra, robbed and abused them, and executed 23 of them, then tried to burn the bodies. Prosecutors link 13 people from the municipality to remains found in a mass grave at Mala Kaludra. The suspects deny wrongdoing and are presumed innocent.

What the courts have decided

Detention was ordered on 29 September and upheld by the Court of Appeals on 8 October. On 27 October an investigating judge of the Basic Court in Pristina extended it by two months, and Kosovo's Supreme Court rejected defence requests for protection of legality. Lawyer Jelena Krivokapić said the courts cited flight risk, possible influence on witnesses and a grounded suspicion that the offences were committed. The detainees are held in Podujevo, Nova reported. Kosovo's prosecution did not comment on the protests in the reports we reviewed.