Closing Statements in terrorism trial of Serbs: Milenkovic urges court to judge justly and not convict without evidence

Before the Special Department of the Basic Court in Pristina, the prosecution and defense began delivering their closing statements in the case against Milun Milenkovic, Dejan Pantic, Aleksandar Vlajic, and Miomir Vakic. While the prosecutor requested a guilty verdict, defense attorney Predrag Miljkovic called for an acquittal, and Milenkovic himself urged the court to judge fairly and not convict without evidence.

The Special Prosecutor’s Office has charged Milenkovic, Pantic, Vakic, and Vlajic with committing a terrorist act.

During her closing remarks, the prosecutor stated that every piece of evidence presented in the case confirmed beyond any doubt that the defendants had committed the criminal offense as charged.

"Through the communications presented before the court, we clearly demonstrated that the defendants had prepared in advance to carry out the act," the prosecutor said.

Quoting parts of the indictment, she emphasized that material evidence showed the accused had devised a plan to commit criminal acts that allegedly caused harm to the people of Kosovo. She asked the court to find them guilty.

“Convicting these defendants will help prevent such crimes in the future,” she added.

Defense attorney Predrag Miljkovic highlighted that the defining features of the trial were the lack of confirmed timing of the attack, no co-perpetration, no material damage, no identified victims, and the absence of essential elements of the criminal offense — with this being the only protest in Kosovo ever characterized as terrorism.

“Milun Milenkovic is not guilty, and the only appropriate outcome is a full acquittal,” Miljkovic stated.

He added that throughout the trial, neither witness testimony nor material evidence could establish the exact time of the explosion.

According to him, the attack on the offices of the Municipal Election Commission (MEC) could not have occurred at the time specified in the indictment but sometime between 3 and 7 p.m., leaving a four-hour window that the prosecution never addressed.

“Throughout the trial, the prosecution failed to prove any element of co-perpetration. The entire case is based on assumptions. We have photos of Milun and Aleksandar holding phones — the prosecution concluded they were speaking to each other. No such communication was proven. Vlajic stated he was calling his wife. Milenkovic’s photo was taken in the evening. Pantic was seen walking down the street with a bag, and the prosecution concluded he was the organizer. The oddest thing is that Vakic was never mentioned by any witness or even the prosecution. These four people were arbitrarily arrested — they had no plan, no coordination. If it weren't for this courtroom, they likely would never have met,” Miljkovic said.

He emphasized that no material evidence established what was destroyed in the explosion or the value of any damaged property.

“The police officers who arrived that day said a window was broken and the door closed. This means we have no way of comparing the forensic condition found at 7 p.m. with anything else,” he added.

Miljkovic also stressed that there were no victims in this case.

“The claim that the lives of CEC and police officers were endangered was never proven, as the attack did not occur while they were present. The central event in this indictment — the attack — did not endanger anyone’s life. Everything that happened that day can be described as a citizens’ protest, of which there have been hundreds in Kosovo over the past decade. The elections that were interrupted were held four months later. There was no destabilization of institutional structures,” Miljkovic said.

Regarding photos and video footage, he noted that Milun was not identified in any of the recordings.

He also pointed out that an investigator stated in a report that nothing incriminating was found on Milenkovic’s phone, while the indictment claims he denied communication via Viber.

“The prosecution never proved that Milun acquired any kind of explosive device. There is no longer even a well-founded suspicion, let alone proof. The only fair verdict is a full acquittal for Milun,” said Miljkovic.

Milun Milenkovic himself declared that he is not a criminal, as portrayed, but a family man, father of two, and an athlete.

“I’ve earned many accolades, but for the past 15 years, I’ve been a coach. My success lies not in what I’ve won, but in what I’ve built. In addition to my family, I’ve trained many champions in kickboxing — world, European, and Balkan champions. I am one of the most successful coaches from this region. I shaped these athletes not only as sportspeople but as good individuals whose reputation reflects my work. I stand before you today without shame, despite everything that has happened to me recently. I do not see myself as guilty and I ask you to judge according to justice and not convict a man without evidence,” Milenkovic said.

The hearing was then adjourned due to high temperatures in the courtroom, and the closing statements will continue on 25 July.

According to the indictment, Milenkovic, Pantic, Vakic, and Vlajic — along with unidentified individuals — committed a terrorist attack on the offices of the Municipal Election Commission on 6 December 2022, during a protest by local Serbs, by throwing two hand grenades and two stun grenades. The prosecution claims their actions endangered lives.

Milenkovic and Vlajic remain in custody, while the others are being tried while out on bail.