PRISTINA -- An ethnic Serb has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for his involvement in war crimes committed during the 1998-1999 Kosovo War.
A court in Pristina handed down the sentence against Goran Stanisic on October 5, after finding him guilty of participating in ethnic cleansing against ethnic Albanians and the killing of 13 civilians.
Goran Stanisic, who was arrested in 2019, was among Serbian soldiers, police, and paramilitary troops who attacked the villages of Sllovi and Terbovc in April 1999 and executed ethnic Albanian men.
In his closing remarks, Stanisic’s defense lawyer questioned the credibility of the witnesses in the case, saying they did not mention the name of the defendant in any of their testimonies.
It wasn't immediately clear whether the verdict will be appealed.
Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008, nearly a decade after the war between ethnic Albanian separatists and the forces of rump Yugoslavia left more than 10,000 dead.
The war ended after a 78-day NATO bombing campaign that drove Belgrade's troops out.
Kosovo's independence has been recognized by more than 100 countries, but Serbia still considers the territory a southern province.
Kosovo Jails Serb For Crimes During War Of Independence
Editors' Picks
Top Trending
1
EU To Target Chinese Firms With Asset Freezes, Visa Bans For Aiding Russia In Ukraine
2Who Is Calin Georgescu, The Far-Right Winner Of Romania's Presidential First Round?
3Pakistani Capital Locked Down, Internet Partially Suspended Ahead Of Protest
4Russian Beaten In Custody By Kadyrov's Son Gets 13 1/2 Years In Prison
5It's Election Season In Romania. Here's Everything You Need To Know.
6Ukraine Live Briefing: Merkel Defends Stance On NATO Membership For Kyiv
7The Life, And Nail-Biting Work, Of A Ukrainian Sapper
8Interview: Could A Demilitarized Zone End The Ukraine War?
9Pro-West PM Leads Romanian Presidential Vote, Russia-Friendly Candidate Makes Surprise Challenge
10Zelenskiy Says Putin Aiming To Regain Kursk Territory Before Trump Takes Office
RFE/RL has been declared an "undesirable organization" by the Russian government.
If you are in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine and hold a Russian passport or are a stateless person residing permanently in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine, please note that you could face fines or imprisonment for sharing, liking, commenting on, or saving our content, or for contacting us.
To find out more, click here.
