The European Union has again criticized Serbia for failing to take concrete judicial action nearly three years after the armed attack in Banjska, saying that accountability for the incident remains unresolved.
European Commission spokesperson Peter Stano said that, following the recent court ruling in Pristina, Brussels still sees no substantial progress from Serbian institutions in investigating and prosecuting those responsible. According to him, the events in northern Kosovo in 2023 cannot remain without a clear legal outcome.
The comments came after a court in Pristina delivered heavy sentences on April 24 against three men linked to the armed incident. Blagoje Spasojević and Vladimir Tolić were sentenced to life in prison, while Dušan Maksimović received a 30-year prison sentence for his role in the attack.
The Banjska incident took place on September 24, 2023, when an armed group clashed with Kosovo police in northern Kosovo. Kosovo police officer Afrim Bunjaku was killed, along with three members of the attacking group. The case triggered serious political tensions in the region and drew strong reactions from the EU, the United States and NATO.
Milan Radoičić, a former official of the Serb List, publicly accepted responsibility for the operation and is described in prosecution documents as the leader of the group. He remains in Belgrade, where he is reportedly under measures restricting him from leaving his residence and requiring him to report regularly to police.
The court in Pristina processed the three convicted defendants in a separate procedure, while a request to try a larger group of suspects in absentia was rejected.
Despite repeated calls from the EU, the United States and NATO, and despite earlier statements from Serbian officials that the case would be addressed, no indictment has yet been filed in Serbia against the alleged organizers of the attack. For Brussels, that lack of progress keeps the Banjska case open, politically sensitive and a continuing obstacle in regional relations.
