Persons indicted

Rank(s) of person(s) indicted

Defendants' ranks: lower military

Indictment date

04/07/2014

Case stage

trial in progress

Duration of proceedings since trial commencement

In progress

Witnesses examined

Date and outcome of the first instance verdict

/

Date and outcome of decision on appeal

/

Date and outcome of verdict in new trial

/

Criminal offence

war crime against civilian population under art. 142 (1) re art. 22 (co-perpetration) of the FRY Criminal Act

Background facts

Background facts:
According to the indictment allegations, on 1 April 1999, the accused, at the time soldiers of the 177th Military-Territorial Detachment (known as the Jackals) operating as part of the Yugoslav Army, launched an attack against Kosovo Albanian civilians in village Ljubenić. The operation resulted in the deaths of 46 civilians and serious wounding of 11, whereas the remaining villagers were displaced. Bodies of 34 victims were later found in a mass grave in Batajnica outside Belgrade.

Procedural remarks

Procedural remarks:
The remaining 14 defendants, allegedly members of the Jackals, were inter alia indicted in relation to their involvement in the Ljubenić events (see the Ćuška case).