Kosovo: Leader of Serb List indicted

Kosovo: Leader of Serb List indicted

"In political terms, the indictment implies a destabilizing element and it can have very serious implications for the relationship and the Serbs' confidence in institutions, not only judicial but also all others in Kosovo and Metohija," Djuric told Tanjug.

Djuric also noted that the indictment "clearly shows that the judicial institutions in Kosovo and Metohija are governed by "politics, particularly politics which is very malicious towards the interests of Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija."

"This is a serious step back when it comes to confidence in institutions, verbal offenses returning in a big way and a kind of brutal attempt to restrict political activities of the Serbs and intimidate them," he pointed out.

The Serious Crimes Department of the Basic Prosecution Office Djakovica has issued an indictment against Jablanovic for the criminal offense of inciting national, racial, religious hatred, riots and intolerance.

Jankovic commented on the news to say:

"I see the indictment exclusively as a form of pressure and a wish to intimidate and discipline Serbs, especially their political representatives, so that they would keep quiet when violence is being committed against Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija."

In a statement for the Kosovska Mitrovica-based Radio Kontakt Plus, he noted that "it will be his pleasure to personally check just how far individuals and institutions in Kosovo are ready to go in an attempt to distort facts and present events in a way ethnic Albanians see suitable."

"I expect international representatives to finally teach those to whom they gave the right to judge us to do that always in a lawful manner, and to, drawing from that practice, put on trial all those who murdered non-Albanians, pillaged and burned their property, burned down their monasteries and demolished their graveyards," Jablanovic said.

"We who are guilty of nothing should not prove our innocence anyway, especially not before the Djakovica prosecution," he concluded.

Jablanovic was dismissed as minister for return and communities in the Kosovo government after he qualified as savages those ethnic Albanians who used stones to attack a group of displaced Serbs from Djakovica who were trying to visit the local church on Orthodox Christmas Eve.

His statement was seen as insulting to the Albanian victims of war in Djakovica, and caused protests and demands for his resignation that came from politicians, student and civil organizations, and organizations gathering former members of the KLA.