The Special Prosecution Office in Pristina. Photo: BIRN.

Kosovo’s Special Prosecution on Tuesday presented an indictment to Peje/Pec Basic Court charging the former Serb policeman, identified only by the initials M.Z., with war crimes over his alleged role in the killing of two Albanian civilians.

According to the indictment, during June and July 1998, the suspect took an active part in organised attacks on the ethnic Albanian population by Serb forces in the village of Dush near Klina, a town around 60 kilometres west of Pristina.

The prosecution said that the suspect took part in the attacks in his capacity as “a member of Serb police, army and paramilitary [units]”, together with other unnamed Serbs.

He is accused also of putting his house at the disposal of Serb forces.

“On 19 June 1998, around noon, in Dush village, dressed in military uniform and civilian trousers… [M.Z.] unloaded weapons of different calibres,” the prosecution said.

“On the evening of the same day, from the balcony of his house, the defendant fired with automatic weapons in the direction of the unprotected civilian population, which fearing attacks, threats and uninterrupted attacks, was forced to flee the village,” it added.

As a result of these attacks, two people who couldn’t flee – one of whom was paralysed – were burned to death in a house, while two others were wounded, the prosecution said.