Delevic and Vasic: Proceedings against Pantic and Zaric nearing conclusion

Defense attorneys in the case of Momir Pantic and Zarko Zaric, Milos Delevic and Dejan Vasic, said that the proceedings were nearing their conclusion and that a judgment would be handed down after the remaining witnesses are heard in December.

“Pantic is taking an active role in his defense in these criminal proceedings, somewhat similarly to Milosevic and Seselj in The Hague, and has proposed three defense witnesses. The court rejected his request for Natasa Kandic to testify at the main trial about his work with the state commission for killed and missing persons. The main trial is nearing its conclusion, and after several more defense witnesses are heard and the defendants present their defense, a judgment will be handed down in this case,” Delevic said.

Attorney Dejan Vasic said that the trial panel had done everything within its authority to ensure that the evidence proposed by the Specialist Prosecution and the defense was treated equally.

“We are approaching the end of the main trial in this case, with hearings scheduled for November and December at which the court has approved the examination of witnesses proposed by the defense attorneys. The panel conducting the proceedings has done everything within its authority to ensure equal treatment of the evidence proposed by the Specialist Prosecution and the defense. Once the four hearings scheduled for November and December have been completed, we will probably move into the closing arguments stage, after which the judgment will follow, bringing the case to a close,” Vasic said.

The trial of Zaric and Pantic will continue on November 26 and 27, as well as at hearings scheduled for December.

According to the indictment filed by the Kosovo Specialist Prosecution Office on September 1, 2024, former Istok Police Station chief Momir Pantic and former police officer Zarko Zaric are charged with jointly committing the criminal offense of “war crime against the civilian population.”

Pantic and Zaric were arrested in August 2023. Pantic was arrested at the Merdare crossing, while Zaric was arrested in the village of Ljubozda near Istok.

Both have been held in detention since their arrest.

In April this year, the Kosovo Supreme Court rejected their requests for protection of legality and upheld the detention of Momir Pantic and Zarko Zaric.