Lapušnik prison camp was a detention camp (also referred to as a prison) that was operated by the

Kosovo Liberation Army The Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA; , UÇK) was an Albanians, ethnic Albanian separatist militia that sought the separation of Kosovo, the vast majority of which is inhabited by Albanians, from the Republic of Serbia (1992–2006), Republic of R ...

, an Albanian militant organization, near the city of

Drenas Drenas or Gllogovc/Gllogoc ( sq-definite, Drenasi or ''Gllogovci/Gllogoci'') or Glogovac ( sr-Cyrl, Глоговац) is a town and municipality in the District of Pristina in Kosovo. The municipality has an area of . According to the last cens ...

in central

Kosovo Kosovo, officially the Republic of Kosovo, is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe with International recognition of Kosovo, partial diplomatic recognition. It is bordered by Albania to the southwest, Montenegro to the west, Serbia to the ...

during the

Kosovo War The Kosovo War (; sr-Cyrl-Latn, Косовски рат, Kosovski rat) was an armed conflict in Kosovo that lasted from 28 February 1998 until 11 June 1999. It ...

. It was operational in early 1998 and inmates were subject to intimidation, imprisonment, violence and murder. The victims were both

Serbs The Serbs ( sr-Cyr, Срби, Srbi, ) are a South Slavs, South Slavic ethnic group native to Southeastern Europe who share a common Serbian Cultural heritage, ancestry, Culture of Serbia, culture, History of Serbia, history, and Serbian lan ...

and

Albanians The Albanians are an ethnic group native to the Balkan Peninsula who share a common Albanian ancestry, Albanian culture, culture, Albanian history, history and Albanian language, language. They are the main ethnic group of Albania and Kosovo, ...

History

This takes place after the

Battle of Llapushnik The Battle of Llapushnik (Serbian language, Serbian:''Битка код Лапушника'', Albanian language, Albanian: ''Beteja e Grykës së Llapushnikut'') took place on 7-10 May and 25-26 july, 1998 in the village of Llapushnik, in the di ...

. According to the early indictments: In early 1998, KLA forces under the command of

Fatmir Limaj Fatmir Limaj (born 4 February 1971), is a Kosovo-Albanian politician. He is the leader of '' Nisma Socialdemokrate''. Limaj served as Minister of Transport and Telecommunication in the government of the Republic of Kosovo. He was known as "Çel ...

and Isak Musliu detained

Serb The Serbs ( sr-Cyr, Срби, Srbi, ) are a South Slavic ethnic group native to Southeastern Europe who share a common Serbian ancestry, culture, history, and language. They primarily live in Serbia, Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia ...

and Albanian civilians from the municipalities of Shtime,

and

Lipjan Lipjan ( sq-definite, Lipjani) or Lipljan ( sr-Cyrl, Липљан) is a town and municipality located in the District of Pristina in Kosovo. According to the 2011 census, the town of Lipjan has 6,870 inhabitants, while the municipality has 57,6 ...

for prolonged periods in the camp.ICTY, p.3 On 25 or 26 July, the KLA abandoned the camp when the Yugoslav Army began its advance on Llapushnik.

Indictments

In 2003, the

International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) was a body of the United Nations that was established to prosecute the war crimes in the Yugoslav Wars, war crimes that had been committed during the Yugoslav Wars and to tr ...

(ICTY) charged

, Isak Musliu and Haradin Bala. In November 2005, all of the defendants except Haradin Bala were acquitted and released. Bala, who was a guard at the camp, was sentenced to 13 years in prison for persecution on political, racial and religious grounds and for cruel treatment, murders and for his role in maintenance and enforcement of inhumane conditions in the camp. Although the exact number of inmates is unknown, 9 were executed in the mountains by Haradin Bala and two other guards.ICTY document: Bala, p. 2

References

Sources

ICTY document: Limaj
{{DEFAULTSORT:Llapushnik Prison Camp Albanian war crimes in the Kosovo War Kosovo Liberation Army Anti-Serbian sentiment Persecution of Serbs Yugoslav Wars internment camps

History

Indictments

See also

References

Sources