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By:
Donisa Fazliu
- July 4, 2025 19:23
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The Basic Court in Pristina sentenced former ISIS member Murat Dernjani to 20 years in prison on Friday. According to the presiding judge, Violeta Namani-Hajra, it has been proven that he committed crimes against humanity, namely against girls of the Yazidi community in Syria and Iraq.
Murat Dernjani has been found guilty of crimes against humanity against girls from the Yazidi community in Syria and Iraq.
For this crime, including sexual violence and enslavement of women from this community, the Basic Court in Pristina sentenced the former member of the terrorist organization "Islamic State" (ISIS) to 20 years in prison on Friday.
In the reasoning for the decision, the presiding judge, Violeta Namani-Hajra, said that the testimonies of the injured parties were interconnected.
"In their testimonies, these witnesses have described in detail the course of the event that occurred. From this evidence, the court has established that the defendant Murat Dernjani, during the conflict in Syria, Iraq, from March 2014 to March 23, 2017, in the territory of the city of Raqa, intentionally committed violence against Yazidi victims. He has applied measures of torture and infliction of great suffering. Based on the witnesses, it has been reliably established that he committed sexual violence against women of the Yazidi community, among whom there were also children," she emphasized.
During the announcement of the verdict, the accused Dernjani was not present in the courtroom.
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The decision of the Constitutional Court was welcomed by the special prosecutor, Florije Salihu-Shamolli.
"This first instance decision proves the high will of the Kosovo justice institutions, namely the Special Prosecution, which is pursuing all persons who commit criminal offenses, especially the criminal offenses for which today the same person was found guilty of crimes against humanity. Kosovo, both under domestic and international laws, has the competence to prosecute and bring charges against all persons who are citizens of the Republic of Kosovo for these offenses that are internationally condemned, and today we welcome this decision of the Court", said Salihu-Shamolli.
And the Kosovo Center for the Rehabilitation of Torture Survivors (KRRT) said on Friday that the verdict represents an important precedent not only for the justice system in Kosovo, but also at the international level.
"It is the first case of its kind in the country and beyond, where a local citizen is held responsible for such serious crimes that occurred outside the country's territory. This decision reinforces international standards for prosecuting sexual violence in conflict and sends a clear message that: crimes against humanity will not remain unpunished, regardless of the time, location or nationality of the perpetrators," the KRCT said in a public response.
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Murat Dernjani sentenced to 20 years in prison for crimes against humanity in Iraq and Syria
The Special Prosecution has charged Dernjan with sexual violence and enslavement during the period 2014-2017. According to the indictment, most of the survivors proposed as witnesses were minors at the time the criminal offenses occurred.
The Special Prosecution Office has indicted Dernjani earlier. He had pleaded guilty to participating in a terrorist group.
