One released, another Serb sentenced to 15 years in prison for killing 15 Albanians in Suhareka

The Belgrade Supreme Court's special war crimes department sentenced him to 15 years in prison, Rajko Kozlaj, a former Yugoslav Army member, for the 15th murder and the wound of two Albanian civilians in Ternje, near Suhareka, in March 1999.

Under the Court's decision, he and a group of soldiers ordered, orchestrated and participated in the murder and wounding of Albanian civilians.

Former Yugoslav Army member Pavle Gavrilovovic was acquitted of responsibility. None of the victims' family members who have participated in declaring the verdict before the court in Belgrade have wanted to make statements.

According to the prosecution, Gavrilovic and Kozlik as Yugoslav Army members on March 25th 1999, have participated in the attack on the village of Tarnje in Kosovo, where 31 Albanian civilians between 12 women and four children have been killed.

Gavrilovic, who at the time was commander of the army's 549 battalion, has, according to the prosecution, ordered the attack after he gathered his subordinates, including Kozlin and ordered them to kill civilians by telling them “there should be no survivors of”. Under the indictment, Kozlov and other commanders later launched the attack.

At the start of the trial, Gavrilovic and Kozlovic denied the blame.

Non-governmental organisation “Fund for Humanitarian Law” in May 2008 raised criminal charges against 11 members of the 549 Brigade under suspicion of committing a crime in Ternje. The same year, criminal complaints were presented to the victims' families. /REL