Police officer recalls Berisha murders

Police officer Velibor Veljkovic has confirmed before the Hague Tribunal that his colleagues killed several dozen members of the Berisha family in Kosovo. As a witness at the trial of former MUP Public Security Chief Vlastimir Djordjevic, he claimed that he had not seen the actual murders themselves, but he pointed the finger at officers Sladjan Cukaric, Radovan Tanovic and Miroslav Petkovic, who had been under the commander of then Suva Reka Police Chief Radojko Repanovic. Police officer recalls Berisha murders Veljkovic said that he and others had carried bodies out of the café where the crime had taken place and piled them on to a truck. He explained how he had seen an old woman and man still showing signs of life, and how the police had then executed them. The witness said that he had bumped into Canovic, Tanovic, Petkovic and Repanovic in front of the police station at about midday on March 26, 1999. Repanovic then ordered him to do “something that would be considered a crime,” which he had refused to, the witness said, adding that he could not remember the details. He said that he had then entered the station just as an Albanian, Petrit Elshani, was being hastily led out, having spent some time in custody. “I heard shots, and when I walked out he was dead, and Cukaric, Tanovic and Petkovic were standing around him,” he said. The three officers and Repanovic then made towards the Berisha family house, from where an explosion and shots were heard shortly afterwards. Veljkovic said that he had seen civilians, mostly women, children and the elderly, running towards the shopping center by the bus station. Some of them fell after being shot. He said that he had then picked up and loaded “five or six” corpses on to a truck. In the meantime, he said that he heard another explosion and more shots coming from the shopping center. After the explosions stopped, he went over and saw many civilians lying dead in a café, and the three officers standing out front. Without stating who had given the orders, he said that he had then participated in loading some “90 to 100” bodies, including “four- and five-year-old children,” on to the truck. “I saw that an old woman had been wounded, but was alive, and she stretched her arms out to me…I was scared, even though I had a rifle, and I shouted that she was alive, and then someone, I don’t remember who, came in and killed her… Then one older man got up, I know that he was a bus driver earlier… He said: ‘You’ve killed my whole family, at least leave me.’ I ran outside and then someone, I don’t remember who, killed him,” Veljkovic said. Shireta Berisha, who survived the massacre in Suva Reka in which four of her children were killed, testified earlier in the trial. Only two others survived along with her. According to the indictment, Serbian police killed more than 45 members of the Berisha family in the café. Cukaric and Repanovic were recently sentenced to 20 years in jail each for the crimes, while Petkovic received 15 years. Security official Milorad Nisavic was sentenced to 13 years in prison. Police officer Radovan Tanovic, who also participated in the crimes, was later killed during the Kosovo war. Vlastimir Djordjevic (Beta-AP, archive)

Police officer recalls Berisha murders

Veljković said that he and others had carried bodies out of the café where the crime had taken place and piled them on to a truck.

He explained how he had seen an old woman and man still showing signs of life, and how the police had then executed them.

The witness said that he had bumped into Čanović, Tanović, Petković and Repanović in front of the police station at about midday on March 26, 1999.

Repanović then ordered him to do “something that would be considered a crime,” which he had refused to, the witness said, adding that he could not remember the details.

He said that he had then entered the station just as an Albanian, Petrit Elshani, was being hastily led out, having spent some time in custody.

“I heard shots, and when I walked out he was dead, and Čukarić, Tanović and Petković were standing around him,” he said.

The three officers and Repanović then made towards the Berisha family house, from where an explosion and shots were heard shortly afterwards.

Veljković said that he had seen civilians, mostly women, children and the elderly, running towards the shopping center by the bus station. Some of them fell after being shot.

He said that he had then picked up and loaded “five or six” corpses on to a truck. In the meantime, he said that he heard another explosion and more shots coming from the shopping center.

After the explosions stopped, he went over and saw many civilians lying dead in a café, and the three officers standing out front.

Without stating who had given the orders, he said that he had then participated in loading some “90 to 100” bodies, including “four- and five-year-old children,” on to the truck.

“I saw that an old woman had been wounded, but was alive, and she stretched her arms out to me…I was scared, even though I had a rifle, and I shouted that she was alive, and then someone, I don’t remember who, came in and killed her… Then one older man got up, I know that he was a bus driver earlier… He said: ‘You’ve killed my whole family, at least leave me.’ I ran outside and then someone, I don’t remember who, killed him,” Veljković said.

Shireta Berisha, who survived the massacre in Suva Reka in which four of her children were killed, testified earlier in the trial. Only two others survived along with her.

According to the indictment, Serbian police killed more than 45 members of the Berisha family in the café.

Čukarić and Repanović were recently sentenced to 20 years in jail each for the crimes, while Petković received 15 years. Security official Milorad Nišavić was sentenced to 13 years in prison.

Police officer Radovan Tanović, who also participated in the crimes, was later killed during the Kosovo war.