The Qyshk massacre

Name: The Qyshk massacre
Start: 1999-05-14
Location: Qyshk

On 14 May 1999 an armed Serbian force surrounded Qyshk, burned houses, robbed villagers and separated the men from the women and children; groups of men were shot inside three houses, which were then set on fire. Pavlan and Zahaq were attacked the same day.

Judicially establishedThe 1998–1999 warCrimes

Editorial status: Awaiting verificationDrafted from the cited sources; not yet fully reviewed by the editors.

Key facts

Date: 14 May 1999
Place: Qyshk
Coordinates: Approximate location
Sources: 3
Evidence status: Evidence status: Judicially established. Established in a final court judgment. It covers only what the court found, not every later interpretation.

Content warning

This material describes violence, death or loss. Read it when you are ready; you can close it at any time.

The Đorđević judgment established the events as part of the persecution, describing “an armed Serbian force of about 80 men” with police in blue and VJ soldiers in green uniforms [1]. The Serbian indictment cites 44 civilians killed in Qyshk alone — an allegation, not a judicial finding [2].

In Serbia, after the 2014 judgment was annulled, the Higher Court in Belgrade convicted seven former members of the VJ 177th detachment on 24 April 2024; the judgment is not final see the court case.

Sources

Last reviewed: 16 September 2026

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