The Kosovo Police reported the detention of an individual identified as DR at the Jarinje border checkpoint between Kosovo and Serbia on February 25, on suspicions of having committed a war crime against civilians.

According to official statements, the suspect is accused of engaging in criminal activities in the municipality of Djakovica from May 7 to May 10, 1999, “acting in a group and organized as a mobilized officer in a unit of the Serbian Ministry of the Interior.”

The police indicated that the Special Prosecution Office of Kosovo was notified of all investigative actions and had ordered the suspect’s detention for a period of up to 48 hours.

In the meantime, the Serbian List, the predominant political party representing Kosovo Serbs with backing from Belgrade, stated that the detained DR was a displaced person from Gjakova who had entered Kosovo to renew his personal identification documents.

“Despite having crossed all border points many times without incident, DR is now deprived of his freedom, with no proof of his involvement in any criminal conduct, particularly concerning a war crime,” the statement elaborated.

They also mentioned that the Serbian state has provided free legal assistance to the detained individual.

Since the conclusion of the war in Kosovo, over 70 individuals have been convicted of war crimes by both local and international bodies.

From 2000 to 2008, war crimes investigations in Kosovo were handled by the United Nations Mission (UNMIK), followed by the European Union Rule of Law Mission (EULEX) from 2008 onward.

In 2018, this mission forwarded documents to the Kosovo Prosecutor’s Office and local courts for further action.

During the Kosovo conflict from 1998 to 1999, more than 13,000 civilians lost their lives, with thousands more reported missing. Approximately 1,600 individuals, predominantly from the Albanian community, remain unaccounted for.

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