Filipovic: The witness did not identify Milenkovic, and we hope that others will also be brave

Witnesses in today's hearing in the case of Dragisa Milenkovic, whom the Kosovo Special Prosecution charges with alleged war crimes, did not identify Milenkovic as the perpetrator of the crime, reported attorney Jovana Filipovic after the hearing.

Two witnesses were examined today before the Special Department of the Basic Court in Pristina in Milenkovic's case. While the first claimed to have recognized Milenkovic in the prison in Lipljan, the second emphasized that he could not identify him as the perpetrator.

"The witnesses gave their testimonies, and what is particularly noteworthy is that the second witness gave an honest statement in which he said he did not see Dragisa present in the Lipljan prison, which fully aligns with our defense, as we assert that he was not present and could not have participated in the war events or the crime attributed to him," said Filipovic.

During the hearing, the witness turned towards the defendant, looked at him, and stated that he had no information, did not see him, and could not identify him as the perpetrator of any criminal offense, Filipovic emphasized.

She mentioned that the same witness gave an identical statement to the Kosovo Police, which is why she hopes that other witnesses will also be brave enough to give testimony that aligns with the law and the truth.

"We are extremely satisfied with what the defense has achieved so far, specifically in pointing out all the deficiencies and contradictions of witnesses who have accused Dragisa Milenkovic in any way. It remains for the court to properly assess these witness statements and the objections raised by the defense, especially with today's witness who did not identify him as the perpetrator of the criminal offense," Filipovic said.

She also added that it is characteristic, especially in cases of war crimes, for victims to remember after 20 or more years to report perpetrators, even though many of them had information that these alleged perpetrators were living in Kosovo.

Dragisa Milenkovic was arrested on June 21 in Kisnica.

Milenkovic is accused of systematically mistreating Albanian prisoners in inhumane ways with various objects during the Kosovo conflict in 1998 and 1999 as a prison guard at the Lipljan branch of the prison in Pristina, acting as a public official and in complicity with other officials, violating international law.

The Kosovo Special Prosecution filed charges against Milenkovic on December 26, 2023, and lawyer Dejan Vasic requested that Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti be called as a witness in Milenkovic's case because he was detained in the prison in Pristina at the time Milenkovic worked there.

Following Milenkovic's arrest, citizens protested in Gracanica for several days.