The “Dubrava Prison Massacre” took place, a massacre of Serbian police and paramilitary forces on Albanian prisoners in Dubrava Prison, near Istog. During the massacre, approximately 170 Albanian prisoners were executed, and around 300 others were wounded. Initially, in 1998, the Serbian Ministry of Justice decided to transfer Albanian political prisoners from Dubrava to prisons in Serbia, converting Dubrava into a military barracks for the Serbian army. With the onset of NATO’s bombing campaign, Serbia refilled Dubrava Prison with Albanian prisoners transferred from other prisons in Kosovo, civilians captured during military operations, and political prisoners returned from Serbia. By the time of the massacre, the prison population had grown to about 950 people, who were living under harsh conditions and subject to continuous mistreatment. Serbian authorities had gathered these Albanian prisoners to use as human shields from NATO airstrikes, which had targeted Dubrava Prison. NATO planes bombed the prison on May 19 and 21, killing about 20 Albanian prisoners during the second attack. In desperation, the prisoners attempted to send a signal to NATO by writing the word “Help!” in English in the prison yard, hoping that NATO pilots would recognize it. However, on May 22, 1999, the Serbian prison authorities initiated a plan to execute the Albanian prisoners. First, the prison guards were armed, then Serbian prisoners were also given weapons, and the Albanian prisoners were lined up in the yard under the pretext of being transferred to the prison in Niš. At that point, gunfire erupted from various parts of the prison, including the barracks and high prison walls. The killing spree continued on May 23, with masked Serbian forces firing continuously from multiple positions. According to surviving witnesses, approximately 170 Albanian prisoners were killed, and around 300 others were injured during the massacre. (In the photo: Memorial plaque with the names of those killed inside Dubrava prison.)
Text: The encyclopedic dictionary of Kosovo – Vol. II , Academy of Sciences and Arts of Kosovo, Prishtina, 2018, page 1053–1054.
Photo: © https://www.epokaere.com/historiku-i-burgut-te-dubraves-burgu-i-tmerrit-dhe-i-ferit-katerditor/
Graphic processing: AHCF
