Paramilitaries sentenced to 20 years

The District Court War Crimes Chamber has sentenced three men to 20 years in prison for the murders of 14 civilians in Podujevo in 1999. One other suspect was sentenced to 15 years. Paramilitaries sentenced to 20 years The trial chamber, with Snezana Nikolic-Garotic presiding, sentenced Zeljko Djukic, Dragan Medic and Dragan Borojevic to 20 years each, and Miodrag Solaj to 15 years. 14 ethnic Albanian women and children were massacred in the town in north-east Kosovo on March 28, four days after the start of the NATO air strikes against Serbia. The defendants were all members of a special unit called the Scorpions, that operated under the aegis of the Serbian Interior Ministry. Djukic, Medic, Borojevic and Solaj were found guilty of opening fire on a group of 19 civilians in the Gasi family’s back garden. Five children from the group of 19, who survived the shooting, testified at the trial. The oldest child at the time was 14 years of age, and the youngest nine. The four Scorpions were arrested on October 19, 2007, in Sremska Mitrovica. During the trial, which opened in 2008, dozens of witnesses took the stand, including the survivors and one protected witness. The protected witness stated in December 2008 that the accused had abused and beaten the victims, before opening fire on them. All four defense counsels called for their clients’ acquittals in their closing statements, stating that the charges had not been proven. One verdict has already been delivered concerning the crimes in Podujevo, when Scorpion member Sasa Cvjetan was sentenced to 20 years behind bars in 2005. The Scorpions unit is best known for the summary execution of six Bosnian Muslims in Godinske Bare, near Trnovo, in 1995, a crime that was recorded on videotape. "Prosecution satisfied" The War Crimes Prosecution is satisfied with the sentences handed down today to four members of the Scorpions unit, and since they received maximum penalties there is no reason to file an appeal, Prosecution spokesman Bruno Vekaric stated. He said that the War Crimes Trial Chamber had sent out a clear message to the world that no one was untouchable in Serbia. “This is a very brave and legally substantiated verdict that has protected basic civilizational values, primarily, the right to life, but also the principle of preventing impunity for war crimes,” Vekaric told Tanjug after the verdict was delivered. He recalled that innocent women and children had been killed in Podujevo and that “the verdict is justice for little Albian (2), Mimoza (4) and Saranda into whose body 16 bullets were fired and who, fortunately, survived.” This verdict showed that Serbia was ready to rectify its past failings, the spokesman underscored.

Paramilitaries sentenced to 20 years

The trial chamber, with Snežana Nikolić-Garotić presiding, sentenced Željko Đukić, Dragan Medić and Dragan Borojević to 20 years each, and Miodrag Šolaj to 15 years.

14 ethnic Albanian women and children were massacred in the town in north-east Kosovo on March 28, four days after the start of the NATO air strikes against Serbia.

The defendants were all members of a special unit called the Scorpions, that operated under the aegis of the Serbian Interior Ministry.

Đukić, Medić, Borojević and Šolaj were found guilty of opening fire on a group of 19 civilians in the Gasi family’s back garden.

Five children from the group of 19, who survived the shooting, testified at the trial. The oldest child at the time was 14 years of age, and the youngest nine.

The four Scorpions were arrested on October 19, 2007, in Sremska Mitrovica.

During the trial, which opened in 2008, dozens of witnesses took the stand, including the survivors and one protected witness.

The protected witness stated in December 2008 that the accused had abused and beaten the victims, before opening fire on them.

All four defense counsels called for their clients’ acquittals in their closing statements, stating that the charges had not been proven.

One verdict has already been delivered concerning the crimes in Podujevo, when Scorpion member Saša Cvjetan was sentenced to 20 years behind bars in 2005.

The Scorpions unit is best known for the summary execution of six Bosnian Muslims in Godinske Bare, near Trnovo, in 1995, a crime that was recorded on videotape.

"Prosecution satisfied"

The War Crimes Prosecution is satisfied with the sentences handed down today to four members of the Scorpions unit, and since they received maximum penalties there is no reason to file an appeal, Prosecution spokesman Bruno Vekarić stated.

He said that the War Crimes Trial Chamber had sent out a clear message to the world that no one was untouchable in Serbia.

“This is a very brave and legally substantiated verdict that has protected basic civilizational values, primarily, the right to life, but also the principle of preventing impunity for war crimes,” Vekarić told Tanjug after the verdict was delivered.

He recalled that innocent women and children had been killed in Podujevo and that “the verdict is justice for little Albian (2), Mimoza (4) and Saranda into whose body 16 bullets were fired and who, fortunately, survived.”

This verdict showed that Serbia was ready to rectify its past failings, the spokesman underscored.