World News | Serb Jailed for Crimes in 1998-1999 War in Kosovo
Get latest articles and stories on World at LatestLY. An ethnic Serb was sentenced to 20 years in prison in Kosovo on Tuesday after being convicted of war crimes, including involvement in a massacre during the 1998-1999 war.
Pristina, Oct 5 (AP) An ethnic Serb was sentenced to 20 years in prison in Kosovo on Tuesday after being convicted of war crimes, including involvement in a massacre during the 1998-1999 war.
The court in Kosovo's capital, Pristina, handed down the ruling against the man, who was arrested in 2019 and was identified only by his initials G.S.
Also Read | Pandora Papers Show London as Key Hub for Tax Avoidance.
On April 15-16, 1999, Serb army, police and paramilitary forces attacked the villages of Sllovi and Terbovc of the Lipjan commune, 25 kilometers (15 miles) south of Pristina and G.S. was part of the Serb paramilitary troops.
G.S. was among those who executed 12 Albanian men in three separate cases after forcefully entering their houses and pushing women and children away.
Also Read | Rabi Ul Awwal 2021: Moon Sighting in Saudi Arabia Tomorrow, Eid Milad Un Nabi Date To Be Decided.
In one case, they forced the wife and daughter of one of the executed Albanians to watch the killing. In other instances, they shot ethnic Albanians inside their courtyards or while they were moving away to hide in the nearby mountains.
“With these crimes he has committed war crimes against the population in cooperation with others,” said the verdict.
It wasn't immediately clear whether G.S. has appealed the verdict.
There were many massacres of Kosovar Albanians during the war between their pro-independence fighters and the forces of then Serb leader Slobodan Milosevic.
Kosovo was a Serb province until a 1998-1999 insurrection by ethnic Albanian rebels sparked a bloody Serbian crackdown. That pushed NATO to carry out a 78-day bombing campaign to force Serbian troops out of Kosovo. The war left more than 10,000 people dead.
Kosovo declared independence in 2008. but Serbia hasn't recognized it. (AP)
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)