Three Serbs receive heavy sentences in Kosovo over alleged secession attempt

Friday 24 April 2026 - 15:00

A court in Kosovo has handed down severe prison sentences to three Serbian nationals convicted of involvement in an armed operation described as an attempted secession of the country’s northern region.

Two of the defendants were sentenced to life imprisonment, while a third received a 30-year sentence. The ruling was delivered by a court in Pristina, following a trial linked to a violent that took place in 2023.

According to the court, the accused were part of a paramilitary group that sought to detach northern Kosovo—an area with a significant ethnic Serbian population—and integrate it into Serbia. Judges concluded that the operation involved organized violence and constituted acts of terrorism.

The case is connected to clashes in the village of Banjska, where armed individuals reportedly attacked law enforcement officers before engaging in a confrontation with Kosovo’s security forces. The incident resulted in casualties on both sides and heightened tensions in the region.

Prosecutors argued that the actions were premeditated and aimed at destabilizing Kosovo’s territorial integrity. However, defense lawyers maintained that there was insufficient evidence to prove intent and rejected accusations of a coordinated secession plan.

Many other suspects linked to the case remain at large, including individuals believed to have played leading roles in organizing the operation. The court declined to proceed with trials in absentia for those not in custody.

The verdict comes amid ongoing tensions between Kosovo and Serbia, whose relationship remains strained since Kosovo declared independence in 2008—a move that Belgrade does not recognize. The case underscores the fragile security situation in the Balkans and the continued challenges facing regional stability.