Policeman testifies in Suva Reka process

Policeman Jovica Popovski on Monday testified in the Suva Reka trial, conducted before a Belgrade court. Popovski was ordered to secure a team that conducted the investigation in the front yard of the house in this Kosovo village where the bodies had been found in the spring of 1999. Policeman testifies in Suva Reka process The witness told the War Crimes Chamber of Belgrade’s District Court that in late May that year he, in his capacity as a reserve MUP policeman, provided safety for the investigative team working on Restanski road where, according to the indictment, the members of the slain Berisha family lived. Before NATP started with its attacks on Serbia, an OSCE mission team occupied the house, where, according to his testimony, three or four burned bodies had been found. Several more bodies were discovered in the proximity of the house. Popovski said that he did not know who the hose belonged to, nor who the victims were, stating that he "did not ask around” about the case, and that he was only there to provide security. The witness said that the bodies were packed onto a truck parked on the road. He identified everyone apart from the first-accused Radoslav Mitrovic and Sladjan Cukaric, adding that “those whom he knows did not do it”. The indictment states that 48 Albanian civilians lost their lives during the incident known as the Suva Reka massacre. The commander of the 37th Special Police Unit (PJP) Radoslav Mitrovic, Suva Reka Police Commander Radojko Repanovic, his assistant Nenad Jovanovic, police officers Sladjan Cukaric, Miroslav Petkovic, Zoran Petkovic, Ramiz Papic and a member of the State Security (DB) Milorad Nisavic have all been indicted in the case. According to the prosecution, on March 26, 1999, they shot several elderly members of the Berisha family, while the remaining men, women and children were held captive in a nearby pizzeria. Two hand grenades were then thrown into the restaurant. After that, the victims, aged one to one hundred years, had been shot at, and while the bodies were being removed, the defendants allegedly murdered everyone still alive. Jashar Berisha was taken to the scene and killed later, the indictment says, while Abdulag Elshani was taken out of the prison in Suva Reka, to be shot and killed as well. The trial is adjourned until Wednesday, December 3.

Policeman testifies in Suva Reka process

The witness told the War Crimes Chamber of Belgrade’s District Court that in late May that year he, in his capacity as a reserve MUP policeman, provided safety for the investigative team working on Reštanski road where, according to the indictment, the members of the slain Berisha family lived.

Before NATP started with its attacks on Serbia, an OSCE mission team occupied the house, where, according to his testimony, three or four burned bodies had been found.

Several more bodies were discovered in the proximity of the house.

Popovski said that he did not know who the hose belonged to, nor who the victims were, stating that he "did not ask around” about the case, and that he was only there to provide security.

The witness said that the bodies were packed onto a truck parked on the road.

He identified everyone apart from the first-accused Radoslav Mitrović and Slađan Čukarić, adding that “those whom he knows did not do it”.

The indictment states that 48 Albanian civilians lost their lives during the incident known as the Suva Reka massacre.

The commander of the 37th Special Police Unit (PJP) Radoslav Mitrović, Suva Reka Police Commander Radojko Repanović, his assistant Nenad Jovanović, police officers Slađan Čukarić, Miroslav Petković, Zoran Petković, Ramiz Papić and a member of the State Security (DB) Milorad Nišavić have all been indicted in the case.

According to the prosecution, on March 26, 1999, they shot several elderly members of the Berisha family, while the remaining men, women and children were held captive in a nearby pizzeria.

Two hand grenades were then thrown into the restaurant.

After that, the victims, aged one to one hundred years, had been shot at, and while the bodies were being removed, the defendants allegedly murdered everyone still alive.

Jashar Berisha was taken to the scene and killed later, the indictment says, while Abdulag Elshani was taken out of the prison in Suva Reka, to be shot and killed as well.

The trial is adjourned until Wednesday, December 3.