Man gets 12 years in Kosovo war crimes retrial

A Pristina court sentenced Ekrem Bajrovic to 12 years in prison Friday after again finding him guilty of war crimes against Albanian civilians during the 1998-99 Kosovo war.

Bajrovic was convicted of crimes in the Istog area in early 1999.

The case was retried after Kosovo’s Supreme Court overturned an earlier 12-year sentence. The court said witness statements given to UN and EU investigators had to be obtained and reviewed.

According to the verdict, Bajrovic helped separate civilians from a group heading toward Albania, rob them and send them to a house in Staradran, where at least 16 Albanian civilians were shot.

He was also found guilty of taking part in the arrest and abuse of 84 Albanian civilians in Gurrakoc. He can appeal the new sentence.