Balkan Legal News – 13 December 2024

The following media round-up on international, legal and foreign policy issues from around the Balkans for the period from 06 December 2024, to 12 December 2024. Guernica 37 will provide weekly media updates with a focus on Bosnia and Hercegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia. Should you wish to contribute or submit a media summary, opinion piece or blog, please send to Ned Vucijak at nenadv@guernica37.com for consideration.

Guernica 37 Balkan Legal News

Serbia - 12th December

Uros Blazic, responsible for a mass shooting in Serbia in May 2023 that left nine dead and 12 injured, was sentenced to 20 years in prison by the Smederevo Higher Court. His father, Radisa, was also sentenced to 20 years for illegal weapons possession and trafficking, as he had provided the firearms used in the attack. Blazic carried out the shooting spree across two villages, targeting young people and villagers, before being apprehended. The case, which coincided with another mass shooting in Belgrade by a 13-year-old boy, has sparked public outrage and may still be appealed.

See here. Kosovo - 11th December

Kosovo's Appeals Court has ordered a retrial for former Serbian policeman Caslav Jolic, who was sentenced to eight years in prison in June for war crimes against ethnic Albanians in the Istog/Istok area in 1998. The court found that the initial trial by Pristina's Basic Court contained significant procedural errors, prompting the retrial, and Jolic remains in detention pending further decisions. Jolic was convicted for his role in multiple incidents, including the beating of civilians during the Kosovo War. His arrest in 2022 triggered a strong reaction from the Serbian government, which claimed the charges were politically motivated.

See here.

Kosovo – 9th December

Hajredin Kuci, former Kosovo justice minister, and Isni Kilaj, former mayor of Malisheve, both pleaded not guilty to charges of obstructing justice and influencing witnesses during Hashim Thaci’s ongoing war crimes trial before the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague. The two men, who were arrested in Kosovo on 5th December are accused of interfering with the trial, which involves Thaci and three other co-defendants facing charges for war crimes and crimes against humanity during the 1998-99 Kosovo war. Kilaj’s bail request was denied, and he remains in custody, while Kuci, who is not in detention, faces a court order barring contact with other defendants.

See here.

Kosovo - 8th December

Former Kosovo President Hashim Thaci and co-defendants Fadil Fazliu and Bashkim Smakaj appeared in court in The Hague on charges of obstructing justice and influencing witnesses in Thaci’s ongoing war crimes trial. The pre-trial judge remanded all three in custody for two months, citing the risk of absconding or interfering with the proceedings. Thaci, who is already in detention for his trial, requested more time to review the new charges, while Fazliu pleaded not guilty. Two other defendants, Isni Kilaj and Hajredin Kuci, were arrested in Kosovo on 5th December, and their first court appearances are scheduled for 9th December.

See here.

North Macedonia - 7th December

The U.S. State Department has blacklisted former North Macedonian First Deputy Prime Minister Artan Grubi and Judge Enver Behxheti for corruption, accusing them of accepting bribes to influence judicial processes related to the criminal conviction of former secret police chief Saso Mijalkov. Grubi expressed surprise at the decision, emphasising his dedication to democratic values, while his party, the Democratic Union for Integration (DUI), stated it respects the U.S. decision. Mijalkov, previously convicted in major corruption cases, was also blacklisted in 2022, and his associates, including Grubi’s family, are now on the list. The blacklisting is linked to Mijalkov’s involvement in illegal wiretapping and his connections to North Macedonia's political and judicial scandals, including the controversial handling of his case by Judge Behxheti.

See here.