The Kosovo Court of Appeals has rejected as unfounded the appeal submitted by the defense counsel of Kosovo Bosniak Ekrem Bajrović, a former member of Serbian forces during the 1998-99 Kosovo war, confirming the July 2024 guilty verdict by the Prishtina Basic Court.

The Prishtina Basic Court found Bajrović guilty of war crimes committed against the civilian population in Istog and its surrounding villages between 1998-1999, and sentenced him to 12 years in prison. 

The Court of Appeals found no violations of criminal procedure because the enacting clause is clear and understandable, while the reasoning is full and clear, “nor has the criminal law been violated to the detriment of the accused as alleged by the defense in the appeal”.

The injured parties in this criminal case have been instructed to realize the property-legal claim in a legal-civil dispute. 

The court ruled that Bajrović, as a member of the Serbian police and military, individually and in complicity with others, contributed to the application of the repressive measures of murder, raiding, beating, mistreatment, arrest, torture and inhumane treatment of the civilian population.

According to the indictment, a column of civilians heading towards Albania was stopped by Serbian police and military, including Bajrović, in the village of Staradran on May 8, 1999.  The boys and men were separated from the rest of the group. 

First, they were robbed of their money and other valuables, and then they were placed in the yard of a person’s house where they were lined up, with their hands raised and their faces against the yard wall, while the Serbian military and police physically attacked and beat them. 

The indictment states that the Serbian forces continuously addressed them with: “Where is NATO?” and “Where is the [Kosovo Liberation Army] KLA?”. 

The indictment further claims that the Albanian civilians were then taken to a house, where at least 16 of them were shot. Only one of them survived, although wounded.

The indictment also explains that Bajrović participated in the arrest, kidnapping and mistreatment of 84 Albanian civilians on May 7, 1999, who were initially separated from the convoy and had all their money and valuables taken away. These people were then transferred to a bar in Gurakovc where they were mistreated and tortured  after which they were taken to the police station in Gurakovc. 

According to the indictment, the convoy was led by the accused Bajrović who hit a person on the right side below the ribs with the butt of his automatic rifle. After the civilians were placed in the police station, they were subjected to inhumane torture and psychological violence, and threatened with death. The indictment further claims that, in addition to serious physical injuries, Bajrović caused trauma and long-term health consequences.