Former Pristina prison guard declared innocent over war crimes charge

Initially, the indictment was read by the special prosecutor, Father and Dema, reports “Justice Vow”.

Afterwards, case judge Betaman Beqiri announced the accused with his rights, and then Tonic was acquitted.

Judge Beqiri announced his indictee and host, lawyer Predrag Milokovovic, that in the 20-day term, they have the right to contest evidence and request to drop the indictment.

According to the Special Prosecutor's Act of the Republic of Kosovo, founded on December 31st 2025, Boban Toniq, known with his nickname “Belko”, is charged that in the quality of the guard at Pristina prison and the parallels in Lipjan, during wartime in Kosovo, in co-ordination with other prison officials in question Jovanovic, Avdia Sutkovic and Zoran Djoko-guard of the former Pristina prison and parallels in Lipjan, acting deliberately and violating international rule of law during the war, had subjected to torture Albanian prisoners.

The Actakuz says that prisoners had been brutally tortured by various means, such as rubber sticks, metal bars, kicks, and fists, to the ground.

Victims have claimed that after such beatings they had suffered severe bodily pain, psychic violence, left without eating for days, causing them anxiety and fear, and becoming severely vulnerable to dignity.

At the second point of the indictment, reportedly on May 24, 1999, as of June 10, Toniq is accused of being co-chaired with other prison officials, deliberately and by violating the rules of international law, in co-ordination with former guards Jovanovovic, Sutkovic and Djoq, having transferred prisoners from Dubrava prison to Pristina and parallels to Lipjan, had first formed cords, and then started beating prisoners with various tools, like sticks, metal rods, fists, and beatings, after which they had systematically mistreated Albanian prisoners, torturing them, causing body injuries, causing them to eat up, and then killing victims, and yet insultinging them, and killing them, and killing them, and killing them all the other days, and killing them with serious dignity.

For these actions, Tonic is tasked with criminal work “War crimes against the civilian population” by Article 142 concerning Article 22 of the Criminal Law of the former Socialist Republic of Yugoslavia. /Betimy for Justice