Belgrade cites “irregularities” in trial of K-Serb

The Kosovo Ministry said yesterday that it was concerned by “possible irregularities” during the trial of Kosovo Serb Marko Simonovic. Simonovic was sentenced in Pristina on Feb. 10 to ten years in prison on charges that he was in a group of people who, on June 15, 1999, killed four Albanians and attempted to kill two more. Simonovic was 16 at the time. Belgrade cites “irregularities” in trial of K-Serb “Bearing in mind all the facts, there are justifiable grounds to question the impartiality and objectivity of the proceedings,” the ministry said in a statement. They added that Simonovic had been arrested and charged on Sept. 25, 2007, when he sought police assistance for the repeated unlawful expropriation of his family home in Pristina. For that reason “there are justifiable grounds to suspect that this was done precisely in order to prevent him returning to his personal property, which had been expropriated by the same person for a second time.” A further reason for doubt is that Simonovic, prior to his arrest, worked in the Provisional Self-Government Institutions in Pristina from June 1, 2005 to July 31, 2007. The Kosovo Ministry said that one of the conditions for employment in those institutions was a clean record with no criminal prosecutions, proof of which Simonovic supplied with a certificate from the District Court in Pristina. The Kosovo Ministry has taken the Simonovic case to the international institutions on a number of occasions, pointing out the irregularities, and calling for the court proceedings to be pursued in accordance with domestic and international regulations and human rights standards, read the ministry statement.

Belgrade cites “irregularities” in trial of K-Serb

“Bearing in mind all the facts, there are justifiable grounds to question the impartiality and objectivity of the proceedings,” the ministry said in a statement.

They added that Simonović had been arrested and charged on Sept. 25, 2007, when he sought police assistance for the repeated unlawful expropriation of his family home in Priština.

For that reason “there are justifiable grounds to suspect that this was done precisely in order to prevent him returning to his personal property, which had been expropriated by the same person for a second time.”

A further reason for doubt is that Simonović, prior to his arrest, worked in the Provisional Self-Government Institutions in Priština from June 1, 2005 to July 31, 2007.

The Kosovo Ministry said that one of the conditions for employment in those institutions was a clean record with no criminal prosecutions, proof of which Simonović supplied with a certificate from the District Court in Priština.

The Kosovo Ministry has taken the Simonović case to the international institutions on a number of occasions, pointing out the irregularities, and calling for the court proceedings to be pursued in accordance with domestic and international regulations and human rights standards, read the ministry statement.