Name: The killing of the Berisha family in Suharekë
Start: 1999-03-26
Location: Suharekë

The killing of the Berisha family in Suharekë

On 26 March 1999, during a police action in Suharekë, members of the extended Berisha family were shot near their homes and inside a pizzeria where they had sheltered, including with grenades. Many of the bodies were later moved to the Batajnica mass grave.

Judicially establishedThe 1998–1999 warCrimes

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

Key facts

Date: 26 March 1999
Place: Suharekë
Coordinates: Municipality level (approximate)
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 Milutinović et al. judgment found 45 people killed by local policemen, with members of the 37th PJP Detachment “instrumental in triggering” the action and no evidence of VJ involvement; the Đorđević judgment found at least 45 Berisha family members killed by MUP forces [1] [2].

In Serbia, four people were finally convicted and three acquitted, including the PJP commander — an acquittal the victims' families criticised see the court case.

Sources

Last reviewed: 16 September 2026

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