A man identified by the initials I.M. was today sentenced to one year and five months in prison for causing minor bodily injuries during an incident that occurred in November 2022 in North Mitrovica, the Basic Court in Mitrovica announced.
According to the court’s statement, the incident involved a cameraman from the Insajderi portal who was assaulted while filming a developing situation near the main bridge in North Mitrovica.
„Following the conclusion of the initial public hearing held on June 19, 2025, the defendant was found guilty and sentenced to one year and five months in prison on June 23, 2025, in the absence of all parties,“ the court stated.
I.M. is expected to begin serving his sentence within 15 days of the ruling becoming legally binding. Both parties have the right to appeal the verdict within 30 days.
The court specified that on November 17, 2022, around 10:45 a.m., I.M., allegedly in cooperation with unidentified individuals, intentionally inflicted bodily harm on J.M., a cameraman for Insajderi.
The cameraman, together with his colleague V.D., had arrived at the scene to allegedly conduct an interview near the Ibar bridge. Upon arrival, they reportedly saw a group of children coming from the northern part of Mitrovica and shouting for help from Italian KFOR troops.
„J.M. ran ahead to see what was happening. After hearing an ambulance siren, he began recording the scene with his phone approximately 10 to 15 meters from where the ambulance had stopped,“ the statement reads.
After the ambulance departed, the court said:
„J.M. was attacked by the defendant and unidentified persons. I.M. struck the victim on the back of the head and attempted to take his phone, but was unsuccessful.“
The injuries sustained by the victim were later classified as minor bodily harm with temporary impairment to health.
„With these actions, the defendant, in cooperation with an unidentified person, committed the criminal offense of Minor Bodily Injury under Article 185, paragraph 1.4, in conjunction with Article 31 of the Criminal Code of Kosovo,“ the court concluded.
The attack occurred in Vlade Ćetković Street, at a moment when the Insajderi cameraman had diverted from his original assignment to document an unfolding incident. According to the victim’s own account, he wanted to film an incident taking place in this street, where a young ethnic Albanian had also been beaten.
At the time of the incident, a KoSSev reporter on the scene witnessed I.M. helping the injured youth, holding him upright and assisting until medical help arrived, alongside a woman who poured water on the boy’s face.
Nevertheless, I.M. was first detained in connection with the case in January 2023 at the Jarinje crossing point. He was released shortly after his hearing. His attorney at the time claimed that I.M. had no involvement in the actions he was being accused of by Kosovo authorities.
Preuzimanje i objavljivanje tekstova sa portala KoSSev nije dozvoljeno bez navođenja izvora. Hvala na poštovanju etike novinarske profesije.
