Filipovic: Trial panel showed courage in delivering an acquittal in the Ristic case

Attorney Jovana Filipovic stated that the trial panel of the Basic Court in Pristina showed courage in issuing an acquittal in the case of Dragan Ristic.

“With regard to Dragan Ristic’s case, I have been his defense counsel from the very moment of his arrest, and I maintain that what he stated in his first police statement is exactly what the court in Pristina ultimately found to be credible and correct. Unfortunately, Dragan Ristic spent more than a year in detention, at an age when every day could be his last, in conditions that he himself was unable to fully describe before the court, including the extent of his illness and poor health. His family and I were aware of this, but every time he appeared in court, he was not able to repeat everything he was going through,” Filipovic said.

As she emphasized, the trial panel demonstrated exceptional courage in rendering an acquittal in a war crimes case.

“In my closing statement, I also pointed out that everything we had argued from the very beginning, as well as the evidence collected, clearly indicated that the verdict had to be acquittal,” Filipovic noted.

Regarding compensation, she stated that this is only a first-instance judgment and expressed hope that it will be upheld by the Court of Appeal.

“This is only a first-instance judgment. We do not yet know whether the Special Prosecution in Pristina will file an appeal or whether the judgment will become final, or if we will have to wait for the appellate decision. That remains to be seen. If the judgment becomes final, we will certainly seek compensation, as that is something everyone is entitled to. Even if it is only a symbolic amount, it would serve as a warning to state authorities that proceedings must not be conducted against innocent individuals, especially where there has been clear evidence from the outset that they are not the persons sought and should not be in the dock,” Filipovic said.

Dragan Ristic (77), from Djakovica, was acquitted today of charges of war crimes against the civilian population. This is the first acquittal for a war crimes case this year.