Persons indicted

defendants: 2

Rank(s) of person(s) indicted

lower police officers

Indictment date

08/23/2006

Case stage

finally resolved

Duration of proceedings since trial commencement

6 years 4 months

Witnesses examined

130

Date and outcome of the first instance verdict

09/22/2009

First instance judgment:
Defendants acquitted of charges

Date and outcome of decision on appeal

11/01/2010

Decision on appeal:
Lower court's judgment abolished and new trial ordered

Date and outcome of verdict in new trial

05/09/2012

Decision in repeated proceedings:
Defendants acquitted of charges

Additional info

Decision on appeal

01/18/2013

Judgment confirmed

Criminal offence

Background facts

According to the prosecution charges, the defendants, former Serbian police members, unlawfully arrested three U.S. citizens of Albanian origin, and subsequently deprived them of the right to a fair and impartial trial. At the time of the event, namely in July 1999, the victims were members of the so-called Atlantic Brigade - part of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA). Further according to the indictment allegations, the victims were arrested as they illegally crossed the border and were transferred to the police detention facility in Petrovo Selo, Serbia. In July 2001, the victims' bodies were recovered from a mass grave in Petrovo Selo, Serbia.

Procedural remarks

The defendants were acquitted of all charges.