Former Pristina prison guard pleads not guilty to war crimes charges

Defendant Boban Tonic has pleaded not guilty to charges of war crimes in his capacity as a guard. in the prison of Pristina and Lipjan during the war.

Initially, the indictment was read by the special prosecutor, Atdhe Dema,

Afterwards, the judge in the case, Rrahaman Beqiri, informed the accused of his rights, and then Tonic pleaded not guilty.

Judge Beqiri informed the defendant and his defense attorney, attorney Predrag Miloković, that within 20 days they have the right to object to the evidence and request the dismissal of the indictment, reports Betimi për Drejtësi.

According to the indictment of the Special Prosecution of the Republic of Kosovo filed on December 31, 2025, Boban Tonic, known by the nickname "Bellko", is accused of having, in his capacity as a guard in the Pristina prison and the parallel prison in Lipjan, during the war in Kosovo, in complicity with other officials of the said prisons Jovan Jovanovic, Avdia Sutkovic and Zoran Djokic - former guards of the Pristina prison and the parallel prison in Lipjan, acting intentionally and violating the rules of international law during the war, systematically mistreated Albanian prisoners.

The indictment states that the prisoners were tortured inhumanely with various means such as rubber batons, metal rods, kicks and punches, and even drowning.

The victims stated that after these beatings they had suffered severe physical pain, psychological violence, and were left without food for days, causing them anxiety and fear, and severely violating their dignity.

The second count of the indictment states that on May 24, 1999, and until June 10, 1999, Tonic is accused of having, in complicity with other prison officials, intentionally and in violation of the rules of international law, in complicity with former guards Jovanovic, Sutkovic and Djokic, after having transferred prisoners from Dubrava prison to Pristina and the parallel prison in Lipjan, having initially formed a cordon and then begun to hit the prisoners with various means such as rubber batons, metal rods, kicks and punches, and after that systematically mistreated the Albanian prisoners, torturing them inhumanely, causing them bodily injuries, leaving them without food for days, insulting and cursing them, and threatening to kill them all, gravely violating their human dignity and that they are still suffering the consequences. victims.

For these actions, Tonic is charged with the criminal offense of "War crimes against the civilian population" under Article 142 in conjunction with Article 22 of the Criminal Code of the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.