Dačić: EULEX freed Albanian terrorist

Interior Minister Ivica Dacic today said that the decision to acquit Florim Ejupi "must meet with a negative reaction of the public and Serbian government". Ejupi was accused and found guilty of in 2001 planting an explosive device on a road near Podujevo, activated as a Nis Express bus was passing. The blast killed twelve Serbs and injured 22. Dacic: EULEX freed Albanian terrorist An EULEX-run court yesterday cited a lack of evidence when it overturned the UNMIK court verdict and acquitted the ethnic Albanian. "That decision is scandalous. EULEX has freed an Albanian terrorist who is guilty of murdering Serbs and other citizens, although there was clear evidence against him," Dacic told reporters in the Vojvodina village of Dobricevo, where he is touring the flooded areas. According to the minister, the Serbian police have information on Ejupi related to other crimes, as do their German counterparts, since some of those crimes were committed in Germany. The Ministry for Kosovo yesterday sent a protest note over the court decision. The ministry's stand is that it is impermissible to acquit a person who had been proven, even in the conditions of inadequate initial investigation, to be responsible for the death of 12 and injuring of 22 people, a statement said. "We hope that the international civil mission EULEX will have enough strength and credibility to review the case and bring the perpetrators to justice, and thus clearly show to all residents of Kosovo and Metohija that the arrival of the mission stands for a beginning of the rule of law in Kosovo and Metohija," the statement concluded. President of the Coordination Center for Kosovska Mitrovica and Metohija Zvonimir Stevic on Friday stated that the acquittal "causes a lot of doubt, mainly about the objectivity of EULEX's court and the EU mission as a whole". “By acquitting Florim Ejupi, the EULEX Court expressed unbelievable speed in reversing the original sentence by UNMIK's court,” Stevic told Tanjug. Such a speedy trial and verdict for such a serious crime, has not yet been recorded in judicial practice, said Stevic, who is also a state secretary with the Ministry for Kosovo.

Dačić: EULEX freed Albanian terrorist

An EULEX-run court yesterday cited a lack of evidence when it overturned the UNMIK court verdict and acquitted the ethnic Albanian.

"That decision is scandalous. EULEX has freed an Albanian terrorist who is guilty of murdering Serbs and other citizens, although there was clear evidence against him," Dačić told reporters in the Vojvodina village of Dobričevo, where he is touring the flooded areas.

According to the minister, the Serbian police have information on Ejupi related to other crimes, as do their German counterparts, since some of those crimes were committed in Germany.

The Ministry for Kosovo yesterday sent a protest note over the court decision.

The ministry's stand is that it is impermissible to acquit a person who had been proven, even in the conditions of inadequate initial investigation, to be responsible for the death of 12 and injuring of 22 people, a statement said.

"We hope that the international civil mission EULEX will have enough strength and credibility to review the case and bring the perpetrators to justice, and thus clearly show to all residents of Kosovo and Metohija that the arrival of the mission stands for a beginning of the rule of law in Kosovo and Metohija," the statement concluded.

President of the Coordination Center for Kosovska Mitrovica and Metohija Zvonimir Stević on Friday stated that the acquittal "causes a lot of doubt, mainly about the objectivity of EULEX's court and the EU mission as a whole".

“By acquitting Florim Ejupi, the EULEX Court expressed unbelievable speed in reversing the original sentence by UNMIK's court,” Stević told Tanjug.

Such a speedy trial and verdict for such a serious crime, has not yet been recorded in judicial practice, said Stević, who is also a state secretary with the Ministry for Kosovo.