On 30 March 1999, during the conflict between the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) and the Yugoslav Army (VJ) in the area of the villages of Žegra and Dunav, a war crime was committed against civilians of Albanian nationality. Vlado Zmajević, a soldier and volunteer of the 3rd Infantry Battalion of the VJ, and a previously convicted offender in Serbia and Montenegro, killed four civilians, thereby committing the criminal act of a war crime against the civilian population. The Special State Prosecutor's Office (SDT) filed an indictment against him in 2017, and The first-instance verdict was issued by a special panel of the Higher Court in Podgorica in 2019, finding Zmajević guilty and sentencing him to 14 years in prison. The same year, the Court of Appeals of Montenegro upheld the verdict, thus this case has been legally concluded.
„The verdict in the Zmajević case has a special significance for the Montenegrin public because, as one of the rare convictions for war crimes before Montenegrin courts, it confirms the importance of establishing individual responsibility and reminds us that responsibility for such acts does not expire.“, said the lawyer Damir Suljevic, who led today's webinar.
Although the passage of time poses a challenge for the judiciary, Suljević points out that the fact that the proceedings ended with a guilty verdict sends an important message that the crimes of the 1990s cannot be forgotten.These verdicts have significance not only for the victims and their families, but also for society as a whole because they contribute to strengthening trust in truth i the process of dealing with the past. “, he emphasized.
Suljević also recalled that numerous war crimes trials in Montenegro in the previous period were unsuccessful and caused controversy in the public, such as the case of Morinj, Bukovica, Monk's lie or Deportation. "After them, this verdict represents an important a signal that it is possible to overcome numerous obstacles and achieve accountabilityAt the same time, she warns that it is important that investigations are conducted decisively and without long delays, so that justice is available within a reasonable time and to strengthen public trust in institutions”, Suljević concluded.
The participants also reflected on the issue of injured families and the reparations process. „Regardless of whether a person has been convicted of a crime, the family has the right to seek monetary compensation in civil proceedings before the courts. It is important that there is a final judgment for the criminal offense in order for such proceedings to be conducted. It is not known that such a request was submitted in this case, but the possibility exists.", Suljević explained.
Participants also believe that less is known about this topic in the public compared to other crimes, which Suljević sees as a result of the relatively efficient conduct of the proceedings, but also limited media reporting. "Also, there was one accused, and therefore one convicted, and the victims were not from Montenegro, all of which probably contributed to the lower public coverage of the topic.", Suljević believes.
This webinar represents a practical update to the CCE manual „War crimes of the 1990s in the verdicts of the Montenegrin judiciary”, enabling a deeper analysis and discussion of the court verdicts available in the publication “The process of dealing with the past in Montenegro: the “Zmajević” case”.
The aim of the webinar series is to provide the interested public with access to verified and verified information about war crimes, through the analysis of court rulings, relevant evidence, testimonies and the role of institutions. The next webinar will be hosted by historian Igor Radulović, March 23, 2026, and will be dedicated in the case of "Štrpci".
The webinar series is being implemented within the CCE project „Understanding the past leads to building trust and transitional justice“, through the regional program "EU support for confidence building in the Western Balkans”, funded by the European Union and implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The content of this webinar is the sole responsibility of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of CCE, the EU or UNDP.
