Zoran Vukotic sentenced to 15 years in prison for war crimes in Kosovo

The Constitutional Court in Pristina has declared condemnation of Zoran Vukotik, accused of war crimes against the civilian population -- on charges of killing B.M. respectively, condemning him to 15 years in prison.

The Vukotic Act was proclaimed by Judge Beqman Beqiri on Tuesday, reports “Battle for Justice”, Transmitt Periscope.

Vukotic was charged with four counts of war crimes in Kosovo, but for other provisions of the indictment, Judge Beqiri said the Court has found no evidence that the same is guilty of war crimes, so it has acquitted him of the prosecution.

The injury to implement the property-law requirement is directed in regular law-civil findings.

The accused was not present at the announcement.

The Special Prosecutor, had filed four counts of war crimes against the civilian population during 1998-1999 against accused Vukotic, but with the proposal of defender of accused Vukotic, lawyer Nebojsa Vlajjic, became uniting the case on August 22nd 2024.

“Zorn Vukotype I”

In the first indictment, which the Special Prosecutor established on April 20th 2017, Zoran Vukotic charged that between May 2nd and May 3rd 1999, as police official reserve from the police station in Vushtrri, in collaboration with other persons from the ranks of Serbian forces, has participated in the attack on the Albanian civilian population.

According to this indictment, civil populations are said to have been deliberately subjected to brutal and illegal killings, nonhuman treatment, endless suffering, deportation, and the application of terror measures.

Based on the indictment, among these civilians killed, injured and treated unhumanally for what defendant Zoran Vukotic holds responsibility are: Ekrem Mullaku, Xhavit Mullaku, Fatmir (Ahmet) Grxhaliu, Ashref Rasica, Adnan Bulnjak, Nakmon Ademi, a 14-year-old unidentified Haki Ademi, Shaip Gerjaliu, Musa Grxhaliu, Bajram Grjaliu, Bahrije Gerjaliu and Avdi Grxhaliu.

On May 25, 2018, the Constitutional Court in Mitrovica, Vukotovic had found him guilty of points 3 in the indictment, condemning him to six years and six months in prison for war crimes against the civilian population sanctioned by the Geneva Convention.

In 2019, the Court of Appeals has turned the case into a retrial in terms of the indictment point I, which charged Vukocuti with participating in the murder of Albanian civilians in the village of Vushtrri Studies, and from which he was released from the first instance. For the indictment's point II, however, the Court of Appeals has confirmed the sentence pronounced by the accused Vukotic for six years and six months ' imprisonment, since he has found no violations in this section, and therefore denied complaints as groundless.

“Zoran Vukotype II”

In the second indictment that P SRK established it on 16 May 2017, accused Zoran Vukotovic was charged that during wartime in Kosovo, on May 5, 1999, in Vushtrri, in co-ordination with defendant Guroljub Paunovic, in the quality of the reserve in Serbian police, dressed in Serbian police and army uniforms, as well as armed with knives, pistols and automatic rifles, have robbed Albanian civilians in their courtyards and homes.

For this, Vukotic was accused of deliberately beating four Albanian civilians, identified as Enver Rrustoll, Hamdi Fazliu, Avdula Fazliou and Fahredin Fazliou, in co-ordination with Gurolju.

Also, in the context of this act, Zoran Vukotic, in co-ordination, was accused of dehumanizing the physical integrity, health, physical and mental well-being of the injured and witnesses, torturing them, Sanije Fazliun, Fikreje Shaqiri, Vehbi Xhema, Zenepe Xhemina, Nexemina, Besart Cema, Zeli Xhema, Pharana, Luljet Rasika, Gani Maxjren, Maxjten Ghaban, Sahbetin, Shabetin, Shamen, Shinder, Uzebet, Osmaneman, Musazqi, and Muzqina, and Muska, whose actions are also being beaten by various kinds of physical consequences today, and other forms of assaults, which are also caused by heavy injuries.

On May 16, 2018, Vukotic, in the absence of evidence, was acquitted of this charge by the Constitutional Court in Mitrovica. According to the chairman of the court, Darius Sielicki, guilt should be proven beyond the basis of suspicion.

Later, the Court of Appeals, on January 9, 2019, had turned the case into retrial after the SPRK's complaint and according to official duty.

“Zoran Vukotiq III”

The third instance, set up on June 23rd 2023, charged Zoran Vukoqi that at the time of the armed conflict in Kosovo, on April 18, 1999, at around 1500th, on Sitnica's “road,” now “Enver Musa”, near the cemetery of the town of Vushtrri, the defendant in co-ordination with NN persons, in the quality of the Serb police reserve, dressed in Serbian and armed police uniforms, have acted in opposition to international law rates in Kosovo during the conflict.

According to the indictment, accused Vukotic, in co-ordination he has killed the minor in Albanian nationality of 13 years old, B.M., with automatic weapons in the manner that now victims, along with his uncle Faton Mulin's son, had taken the bicycle of neighbour Skender Bajraktari and left in the neighbourhood near Vushtrri's cemetery. Then, they had heard a series of gun shots, which would change the way and head toward the “Enver Musa” street, where they face three armed policemen on the main road.

On the other hand, always according to the indictment, when the two children see the police, they begin to leave, where one of the unphothed policemen, now defendant Zoran Vukotic, from a distance of 30 meters, shoots shots at children, shooting at chest B. M, who dies immediately, while Faton Mulley manages to escape gunfire, hiding by the nearby wall.

In this regard, the accused Vukotovic was accused of committing a joint criminal act “War crimes against the civilian population”, contrary to Article 142 related to Article 22 of the Criminal Code of the former Federal Socialist Republic of Yugoslavia (KPRSFJ), in parallel with Article 3 (11) the Geneva Convention, as well as including Article 153 (2), concerning the 31th Criminal Code of the Republic of Kosovo.

For the first point of this indictment, the prosecution had withdrawn from prosecution. The judgment, on the other hand, continues for the second point of the indictment.

“Zoran Vukotic IV”

The fourth instance against Zoran Vukotic was filed on October 4th 2023, with which it charged that, in co-ordination, it committed criminal work “war crimes against the civilian population”, and currently appointed as a crime against the entity. The trial in this case began in November 2023, but that the hearing was closed to the public. This is because Vukotic is in this case accused of sexual assault during the war.

Due to the volume of work, these Vukotic-related materials have been passed by the Mitrovica Foundation Court at the Special Department of the Foundation Court in Pristina.

In another case, Vukotic was accused of being a member of the Serbian Ministry of Internal Affairs police force during the war in Kosovo on May 22, 1999, in co-ordination with other members of the Serbian military, police and paramilitary forces, in the territory of the Vatican Community, has participated in the expulsion of the Albanian civilian population, physical violence and mental violence towards them, as well as the use of violence and other inhuman acts. According to the prosecution, Vukotic has committed sexual rape as part of a broad and systematic attack on Albanian national women.

In this case, Vukotic was originally sentenced to 10 years in prison by the Constitutional Court in Pristina on November 15th 2023, but Appeals had increased that sentence from 10 to 13 years in prison with the argument that the 13-year sentence is in proportion to the weight of the criminal act committed by Vukotic. The Supreme Court, however, had confirmed that sentence. /Periscope