Office for Kosovo and Metohija: Djokovic verdict a blatant act of legal violence by Pristina authorities

The Serbian Government’s Office for Kosovo and Metohija said today that the first-instance judgment against Milorad Djokovic of Vitomirica, near Pec, for an alleged war crime constituted a blatant act of legal violence by the authorities in Pristina and a complete collapse of any semblance of law and justice.

“Djokovic’s only ‘sin’ was that, as a Serb from Metohija, he sought the return of his seized property from Albanian usurpers, after which he was accused of an alleged war crime without any evidence or credible witnesses,” the statement said.

The Office said that this was yet another example of how “Kurti’s judiciary” handed down judgments based purely on political and ethnic considerations, under which Serbs were deemed guilty whenever an Albanian pointed a finger at them for personal motives or material gain.

The statement recalled that Djokovic had lived in Vitomirica until the March pogrom, when he was expelled and his house was burned down. He subsequently returned to his native area and initiated legal proceedings over the usurpation of his property, after which he was accused of an alleged war crime.

The Basic Court in Pristina sentenced Milorad Djokovic of Vitomirica, near Pec, to ten years in prison at first instance for a war crime committed in 1999. The defense has the right to appeal to the Court of Appeals within 30 days.