Milosavljevic’s defense: A tragedy and a disgrace that he spent so many years in detention proving his innocence

Nebojsa Vlajic and Dejan A. Vasic, the attorneys of Gavrilo Milosavljevic from Istok—who was acquitted today by the Special Department of the Basic Court in Pristina of war crimes charges—stated that the acquittal came because it was not proven that he had committed the alleged acts, and that it is both a tragedy and a disgrace that he had to spend so many years in detention to prove his innocence.

Attorney Nebojsa Vlajic expressed satisfaction that the defense had succeeded in proving Milosavljevic’s innocence.

"Finally, we can all rejoice. Gavrilo Milosavljevic was acquitted because there was absolutely no proof that he committed what he was accused of. It is truly a shame and a disgrace that he spent so much time in detention trying to prove that, but we are still satisfied that we succeeded in doing so. The judiciary in Kosovo should be even more satisfied because, seven years after EULEX’s departure, they’ve shown that they can function as a true judiciary—one that independently assesses evidence from both sides. Not only the evidence that accuses you, but also the evidence that exonerates you. In this case, it was clear to us from the beginning which arguments carried more weight, but now we have judicial confirmation of that," Vlajic said.

Attorney Dejan A. Vasic emphasized that the court panel showed courage in rendering this verdict.

"This was, without false modesty, a remarkable victory—one achieved by my colleague Nebojsa Vlajic, myself, and the defendant Gavrilo Milosavljevic. The court panel showed genuine courage in handing down such a verdict in today’s climate, where we all know how cases like this are usually adjudicated. This verdict brings joy to Gavrilo’s family, to him personally, and to us, his defense team," said Vasic.

To recall, the Special Prosecution had accused Milosavljevic of participating in the mass killing of prisoners of Albanian nationality at Dubrava prison between May 22 and May 24, 1999, during which 109 prisoners were killed and 108 wounded.

Milosavljevic was arrested on December 2, 2022, and the indictment 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 only learned about the events there after relocating to central Serbia. He also pointed out that, despite regularly visiting Kosovo after the war, he was arrested while attempting to reclaim property that had been usurped.