Delevic and Miljkovic: Two Prosecution Witnesses “Like Defense Witnesses,” Third Unrelated to Events in Indictment

​​​​​​​Before the Special Department of the Basic Court in Pristina, three prosecution witnesses were heard today in the case against Zoran Kostic and Dragan Milovic, who are accused of alleged war crimes against the civilian population in Vucitrn during the 1999 conflict. According to Milovic’s lawyer, Milos Delevic, two of the witnesses confirmed through their testimonies that his client had participated in rescuing Albanian civilians during the conflict in Kosovo. The third witness, who concerned Zoran Kostic, has no direct connection to the events listed in the indictment, said Kostic’s lawyer, Predrag Miljkovic.

After the hearing, Miljkovic told reporters that the witness in question related to his client was not an eyewitness and had no direct link to any events mentioned in the indictment.

"This is a so-called ‘hearsay witness,’ a regular witness in this court for all cases that have occurred since the founding of this institution. This witness had no specific knowledge; all his information came from someone who knows someone, rather than from anything he personally saw. He is not an eyewitness, has no direct link to the events in the indictment, yet he claims to have interviewed some people who knew other people," Miljkovic stated.

He added that this raises the question—how did he interview them, in what capacity, in what sense, is he some kind of parallel prosecutor, and who entrusted him with such authority?

"Asked directly whether he has material evidence or concrete knowledge, he answered that he does not and does not know. To me, that is enough to conclude that this is a witness fabricated by the prosecution, and I believe that in other proceedings, too, he presents the prosecution’s narratives and nothing else," Miljkovic said.

On the other hand, Dragan Milovic’s defense attorney, Milos Delevic, emphasized that the witnesses related to his client were effectively defense witnesses.

"Those witnesses confirmed that Dragan Milovic participated in rescuing Albanian civilians, that he saved 200 or 300 civilians of Albanian nationality, and yet this man remains in pre-trial detention. This is who the Special Prosecutor’s Office is accusing of war crimes," Delevic said.