Serbia Stops Investigations Over General for Crime in Pec

The Belgrade War Crimes Prosecutor's Office confirmed to BIRN in a letter that the investigation into Dragan Zivanovic, retired Serbian Army General, has been suspended.

Zivanovic, who during the war in Kosovo was commander of the 125th Motorised Brigade of the Yugoslav Army, has been under investigation since August 2014.

He was so far the only officially investigated general for war crimes committed during the wars in the former Yugoslavia.

According to the prosecution's statement since 2014, Zivanovic “suspected that from April 1st 1999 to May 15, 1999, he committed war crimes against civilians in the villages of Sik, Pavlan, Zahaq and Lübeniq, failing to prevent the killing of at least 118 Albanian civilians, wounding 13 and the destruction of at least 40 homes, looting and deportation“.

As commander of the Yugoslav Army Brigade, Zivanovic issued an order 24 April 1999 for its units to establish military control in the villages of Zahaq and Sik, as Kosovo Liberation Army members were claiming to be civilians there.

But the prosecution in 2014 argued Zivanovic was aware that units, such as the 177st Intervention Team, will follow this order, also kill civilians, plunder property and expel the population.

The same statement said some already convicted war crimes soldiers in these villages acted under his command, including Toplica Miladinovic, Milojko Nikolic and Dejan Bulatovic, who were sentenced to 20 years in jail on the first scale.

Dragan Zivanovic, retired Serbian General
This case is now on appeal after being sent for retrial in 2015. Meanwhile, Nikolic died, while the case against Bulatovic is divided because of his illness.

B The IERN documented these crimes in the unidentified documentary, which reveals the extent of crimes committed in these villages, but also the command structure of police and military involved in these crimes.

Although those on trial in Belgrade are only foot soldiers, interviews with victims, former soldiers, experts and the documentation of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, The ICTY indicated that the attack on villages was part of the organised and planned action.

For crimes in Kosovo against Kosovo Albanians, I The ICTY sentenced six state and Serbian military officials, while Serbia was detained in direct perpetrators, prosecuting crimes in the towns of Podujevo, Suhareka and the villages of Sik, Pavlan, Zahaq and Lübeniq.

The crimes in Central and surrounding villages were first documented in 1999 by Human Rights Watch, which identified some of the authors of directors who were indicted in Serbia in 2011.

This case is still under way before the Belgrade Supreme Court.

BIRN's documentary is available in English for free transmission here: