Today in history, 10 November: Dubrava prison, May 1999

The recorded event closest to today's date in the archive calendar.

Date of the event: 19–23 May 1999
Place: Dubrava prison
Evidence status: Evidence status: Disputed. Serious sources give different versions, figures or interpretations. The positions and their reasons are set out.

NATO bombed Dubrava prison on 19 and 21 May 1999, killing prisoners and a prison official. On 22 May prisoners lined up in the yard were fired on with automatic weapons and grenades; on 23 May those in hiding were attacked. The death toll and attribution remain disputed.

Full event record, with sources and map

Historical context

1999

From the Reçak massacre to the entry of KFOR: six months that saw failed negotiations, NATO's intervention, the mass expulsion of Albanians and crimes documented by international courts.

Read the chapter “1999: Reçak, expulsions and the end of the war”

Sources

[1]Fred Abrahams, Benjamin Ward. Under Orders: War Crimes in Kosovo. 2001-10-26. https://www.hrw.org/reports/2001/kosovo/. Accessed 2026-09-16.
[2]Humanitarian Law Center. Dubrava Prison → 116 → State Crime. 2026-05-30. https://www.hlc-rdc.org/en/public-information/news/dubrava_prison/. Accessed 2026-09-16.
[3]Fond za humanitarno pravo / Humanitarian Law Center (HLC), Beograd. Odgovor na netačne navode Shkëlzena Gashija i organizatora izložbe „Masakri na Kosovu 1998–1999“. 2026-03-30. https://www.hlc-rdc.org/informisanje/saopstenja/odgovor-na-netacne-navode-shkelzena-gashija-i-organizatora-izlozbe-masakri-na-kosovu-1998-1999/. Accessed 2026-09-16.