Gavrilo Milosavljevic acquitted of war crimes charges

Gavrilo Milosavljevic from Istok, who was indicted by the Special Prosecution Office for an alleged war crime committed at the Dubrava prison in 1999, was acquitted today of all charges by the Special Department of the Basic Court in Pristina.

Judge Vesel Ismaili, reading the verdict, stated that Milosavljevic was acquitted because it was not proven that he had committed the criminal offense he was charged with.

"The accused Gavrilo Milosavljevic is acquitted of the charges because it was not proven that he committed the criminal offense he was accused of. In accordance with Article 453, paragraph 1 of the Criminal Procedure Code of the Republic of Kosovo, the costs of the trial shall be borne by the court," Judge Vesel Ismaili said.

The judge also stated that the detention measure against Milosavljevic was revoked.

The prosecution had accused Milosavljevic of participating in the mass killing of prisoners of Albanian nationality at the Dubrava prison between May 22 and May 24, 1999, during which 109 prisoners were killed and 108 wounded, as stated in the indictment.

Milosavljevic was arrested on December 2, 2022. The indictment against him was filed on November 29, 2023.

At the hearing held on December 7, 2023, he pleaded not guilty to the charges.

During the trial, Milosavljevic stated that he had not visited the Dubrava Correctional Facility during the war and that he only learned about the events there after moving to central Serbia. He also pointed out that although he had visited Kosovo frequently after the war, he was arrested at the moment he tried to reclaim his usurped property.