A new war crime indictment in Gjakovë/Djakovica has brought the name of Milan Radoicic back into the spotlight. The Kosovo Special Prosecution announced Thursday that it is charging 20 individuals, including Radoicic, for their alleged roles in the execution of 107 civilians during the 1999 conflict in the western town. The indictment accuses them of participating in a military-police operation that resulted in the deaths of a significant number of people, with many of the victims being members of the Albanian community.
According to the indictment, during a military-police operation in May 1999, the suspects separated men from women and children, robbed the women, and executed the men. Some were killed at their homes, while others were shot at Taliqi Bridge. The Prosecution reported that homes were burned, and the victims' bodies were later found in a mass grave in Batajnica, Serbia. The operation was marked by a systematic separation of families and targeted violence against men, who were either executed or imprisoned in improvised detention centers.
The Trial in Absentia
Indictment Details and Charges
The trial will proceed in absentia, as the suspects are outside the reach of Kosovo's judiciary. In April 2025, the Pristina Basic Court issued an arrest warrant for Radoicic and the 19 others. The warrant states the suspects were involved in an operation from May 7 to May 10, 1999, where they forcibly removed people from their homes, separated men for execution, and looted and burned homes. The court detailed that the suspects used force and threats to drive civilians from their residences, with many of the homes subsequently robbed and set on fire, causing extensive material damage.
The court added that more than 300 other civilians were arrested and imprisoned in makeshift facilities before being transferred to prisons in Kosovo and then to Serbia. These detentions lasted until June 1999, with the international community facilitating some releases. The court noted that the suspects' actions had a devastating impact on the local population, with many families displaced and their properties destroyed. The victims were subjected to brutal treatment, including inhumane conditions in the prisons where they were held.
Previous Legal Encounters with Radoicic
Radoicic is no stranger to the Kosovo legal system. In September 2023, he was charged alongside 42 others for a terror attack on a police patrol in Banjska, which killed an officer. Three Kosovo Serbs were arrested, but Radoicic, who had fled to Serbia, refused to return, claiming he acted independently of Belgrade authorities. He took responsibility for leading the assault but insisted he did so without the knowledge or approval of the Serbian government. Radoicic has a history of being at the center of high-profile legal cases in Kosovo, often evading prosecution due to his presence in Serbia.
In 2024, Kosovo authorities seized his property in the country and also linked him to a corruption scheme in Brezovica. Radoicic was also implicated in 2018 in the murder of Kosovo Serb politician Oliver Ivanovic, though no charges were filed. Ivanovic had earlier labeled Radoicic as the dominant figure among Serbs in the north of Kosovo. Radoicic's influence extends beyond his business ventures, with his political ties to the main Serb party in Kosovo, Srpska Lista, which operates closely in line with Serbia’s government. His actions have drawn attention from both Kosovo and Serbian authorities, with multiple investigations ongoing.
Current Status and Serbian Investigations
Despite these charges and warrants, Radoicic has not been arrested and remains in Serbia. Serbian prosecutors have also been investigating him for his alleged role in forming an armed group and illegally transporting weapons into Kosovo, which he denies. The Belgrade Higher Prosecutor’s Office has probed Radoicic for organizing an armed group and amassing a large cache of weapons, which he reportedly transported to Kosovo. Radoicic claimed innocence during questioning in October 2023, suggesting that he was being targeted as part of a campaign against Serbs in Kosovo. The legal battles involving Radoicic highlight the ongoing tensions between Kosovo and the Serb-majority north, as well as the broader geopolitical challenges in the region.