Two years since the shooting of Stefan and Milos Stojanovic, Strpce residents still live in fear

Two years have passed since Stefan and Milos Stojanovic were wounded on Christmas Eve, January 6th, in Gotovusa in the municipality of Strpce. The incident remains a source of unease among the residents, who fear a recurrence of such events. Dalibor Jevtic, the mayor of the municipality, describes these years as a period of painful injustice for the injured families and the Serbian community as a whole.

For the residents of Strpce, Christmas Eve will forever be a reminder of the day in 2023 when Stefan and Milos Stojanovic were wounded at the entrance to their village while returning from cutting Christmas oak branches. They were shot from a vehicle by Azem Kurtaj, a member of the Kosovo Security Force.

Even after two years, the residents express feelings of insecurity. Nemanja Buduric believes the security situation has deteriorated further.

"I think it has only gotten worse for the people. Many young people have left," Buduric stated.

Jovan Ivanovic emphasized the persistent fear, particularly for children.

"It is terrible what happened. You’re afraid to let your child go outside," Ivanovic said.

Dragan Milovanovic is most concerned about the possibility of a similar situation occurring again.

"It doesn’t mean it won’t happen again, and that worries me. God forbid it happens to anyone," Milovanovic said.

Mitra Stankovic also recalls the events of two years ago with trepidation.

"It was horrific. Everything we have been hearing is dreadful. People have been deeply affected, both mentally and physically," Stankovic said.

Azem Kurtaj, the KSF member who wounded Stefan and Milos, remains free pending trial, following a court decision.

Milos Stojanovic's legal representative, lawyer Veljko Radic, expressed dissatisfaction with the pace of the criminal proceedings against the accused.

"As the legal representative of one of the injured parties in this criminal case, Milos Stojanovic, I must say I am not satisfied with the progress of the case. The last hearing, which was also the preliminary hearing, took place on December 4, 2024, during which the next hearing was scheduled for January 22, 2025. At this hearing, evidence is expected to be presented, and witnesses, the victims, and the accused will be heard," Radic stated.

Lawyer Radic emphasizes that he expects and hopes justice will be served.

Dalibor Jevtic, the mayor of Strpce, described the past two years as years of painful injustice, particularly for the families of the wounded, but also for the Serbian community as a whole.

"Two years of painful injustice, especially for the families of the wounded Stefan and Milos Stojanovic, but also for all of us living in this area and belonging to the Serbian people. How can someone explain to me that a Serbian person can be in detention for months or years without evidence, while someone who shot and wounded two boys is free? This can only be called injustice," Jevtic said.

Jevtic expresses skepticism about significant changes and justice being served to the perpetrator, Azem Kurtaj. However, he emphasized the importance of continuing to address the issue for the sake of the future.

"I hope that in the future we can avoid situations where someone feels entitled to randomly shoot at people just because they belong to a different faith or ethnicity. That is something I choose to believe in," Jevtic said.

He also notes that changing the charges against Azem Kurtaj, from attempted murder to endangering public safety, sends a negative message to the Serbian community, particularly to the families of Stefan and Milos Stojanovic.

"Despite all the challenges, through the legal representatives of Milos and Stefan Stojanovic, we will insist on amending the indictment. Whether we will succeed, I cannot say. I see this as an issue for all of us because the shooting of Milos and Stefan was a shooting at every one of us," Jevtic concluded.