Kosovo court sentences 3 ethnic Serbs to life, 30 years in prison over 2023 clash

PRISTINA, Kosovo (AP) — A court in Kosovo on Friday sentenced two ethnic Serbs to life in prison and another to a 30-year jail term over a clash in 2023 between police and a group of Serb gunmen that left four people dead and sent tensions soaring in the volatile Balkan region.

The Basic Court in Pristina, Kosovo's capital, convicted the three men of violating the country's constitutional order and inciting terror activities with an aim to break away the predominantly ethnic Serb northern Kosovo and unite it with Serbia.

“Through this well-organized plan, they attempted to separate the municipalities in the north from Kosovo and annex them to Serbia," Judge Ngadhenjim Arni said.

The clash in September 2023 saw heavily armed Serb men set up barricades in northern Kosovo before launching an hourslong gunbattle with Kosovo police at Banjska village, A Kosovo police officer and three gunmen were killed in the clash.

Kosovo has accused Serbia of arming and supporting the group. Belgrade denied the allegations, saying the men acted on their own. Serbia does not recognize Kosovo’s 2008 declaration of independence.

A total of 45 people were initially charged but the trial was held for just three who were in custody. Among those still at large is the group leader Milan Radoicic, a politician and wealthy businessman with ties to Serbia’s ruling populist party and President Aleksandar Vucic.

Serbia briefly detained Radoicic after the shooting, accusing him of criminal conspiracy and unlawful possession of weapons. Radoicic has not been put on trial despite pressure from the U.S. and European Union officials. He has been sanctioned by the U.S. and Britain for alleged financial criminal activity.

The three gunman tried in Kosovo were injured during the clashes and arrested in Banjska, while others fled to Serbia. One of the defendants, Blagoje Spasojevic, has told the court that "I am not a terrorist.”

“This (incident) was my biggest mistake in life ... but I did not kill anyone," Blagojevic said during the trial.

Lawyers have argued that prosecutors failed to prove the charges against their clients. They said they would appeal Friday's verdict which they described as “too harsh.”

More than 10,000 people were killed during the 1998-99 war in Kosovo that erupted when ethnic Albanian separatist rebels launched an insurgency against Serbia's rule. Belgrade's brutal response prompted NATO to intervene to end the conflict.

Washington and most EU countries have recognized Kosovo's statehood while Russia and China have backed Serbia's claim on the territory. Belgrade and Pristina have been told they must normalize ties to advance in their bids to join the EU.