Dragan Ristic acquitted of war crimes charges in Djakovica

Dragan Ristic (77) was today acquitted of charges of war crimes against the civilian population in Djakovica in May 1999. Ristic was not present at the pronouncement of the verdict.

Ristic was arrested on February 25 at the Jarinje crossing when he set out with his son for Djakovica to extend the validity of his documents, and has been in detention since then.
The measure of detention against him is lifted today.

Judge Rahman Beqiri explained that during the proceedings it was not proven that Ristic committed the acts he was charged with.

“The court could not determine that the defendant was the perpetrator of the criminal offenses,” the judge said.

As he pointed out, the only point in the indictment linking Ristic to the case concerns arrests.

“However, from the evidence presented, it was not confirmed that the defendant was a member of the police forces,” Beqiri concluded.

It should be recalled that in closing arguments the prosecutor requested that the court find Ristic guilty and impose the harshest sentence, while Ristic’s defense attorney, Jovana Filipovic, stated that the trial proved it was a case of mistaken identity.

This is the first acquittal for war crimes this year.