Nezir Mehmetaj, a citizen of Kosovo, has been sentenced to six years in prison by Serbia’s High Court for alleged war crimes against civilians in the village of Rudicë, Klina, during 1999. The court ruling includes time already served in pretrial detention, and the decision can still be appealed.
According to the Serbian High Court, Mehmetaj participated in the abduction of Roma civilian Jelaj Ramadan in June 1999. The victim’s remains have not yet been located. The court claims that Mehmetaj acted alongside other members of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) and was reportedly seen in Rudicë wearing a KLA uniform.
The indictment also accused Mehmetaj of involvement in the killing of five members of the Dašić family, as well as the killings of Jelaj Ramadan and Zorka Šijaković later that month. However, the court found no evidence linking him to the Dašić family’s deaths, Šijaković's death, or to the looting and burning of ten homes belonging to non-Albanians in July 1999.
Arrest and Legal Proceedings
Mehmetaj was arrested on January 3, 2020, at the Merdare border crossing and has remained in custody since. That same year, Serbian authorities indicted him for war crimes in Rudicë during June-July 1999.
Kosovo's Response
Kosovo’s Ministry of Justice has repeatedly called for Mehmetaj’s release, alongside other Kosovo citizens detained by Serbia on war crimes allegations. Justice Minister Albulena Haxhiu expressed concerns in July 2024 over Serbia's lack of judicial cooperation, which has hindered efforts to extradite detained citizens back to Kosovo.
Currently, two other Kosovo citizens, Hasan Dakaj and Tefik Mustafa, remain in Serbian detention facing similar charges. Meanwhile, Sadiku Duraku, arrested in April for alleged war crimes, was released in October 2024.
A Broader Context
The case highlights the ongoing tensions between Kosovo and Serbia over war crimes accountability. Kosovo authorities have criticized Serbia’s judicial system for what they perceive as politically motivated arrests and trials targeting former KLA members. Conversely, Serbian officials maintain that these cases are essential to addressing crimes committed during the 1998-1999 conflict.