Nikolić to make decision on ex-RDB chief "independently"

BRUS, BELGRADE President Tomislav Nikolic says he will be deciding about former state security chief Rade Markovic’s plea for pardon when he receives it. This will happen "given the request passes all the procedures," he said on Thursday. Nikolic to make decision on ex-RDB chief "independently" Nikolic told reporters in Brus, southern Serbia, that the request for pardon must pass procedures in the prison where Markovic is serving a sentence, the court which sentenced him, the Ministry of Justice and the competent amnesty commission. Nikolic said that he has not received any request for Markovic’s pardon, adding that he understands the “heated atmosphere” that has been created concerning the decision he “may or may never make.” Nikolic added that “the whole story in the media about Markovic’s pardon is practically a pressure on him as the president of Serbia.” Nikolic said he makes independent decisions about whether a prisoner will be pardoned or not and they are to be influenced neither by the government, nor the public, nor anybody else. Radomir Markovic, former chief of the former Department of State Security (RDB, was sentenced to 40 years in prison for involvement in the murder of four official of the Serbian Renewal Movement (SPO) in October 1999 and in the kidnapping and murder of former Serbian president Ivan Stambolic in August 2000. Markovic, who was arrested in 2001, recently asked for a pardon from the Serbian president and the Ministry of Justice has given a negative opinion about the request. The former RDB chief has also been accused of threatening to publish secret files allegedly in possession of his wife, which he has denied. (Beta, file) "No pardon" Meanwhile, Prime Minister Ivica Dacic said Thursday that the negative attitude of the Ministry of Justice concerning pardon for former Serbia’s state security chief Radomir Markovic is also the position of the government on that issue. "Nobody in the government's institutions is even thinking about revision of cases to pardon those convicted for the most serious crimes," Dacic told reporters in the Serbian parliament. Dacic said that unnecessary fuss has been put up in the public about Markovic’s appeal for clemency since “nobody has been making any announcement about a decision that the state president may make.” He stressed the need to respect the Constitution and refused to make any statements that could undermine the competencies of the President of the Republic of Serbia. The prime minister, however, said that the Markovic case is being used by some to make unjustified accusations about the current government supposedly protecting those responsible for the killings that took place before the democratic changes in the country in 2000. He pointed out that it all comes down to political accusations and stated that Markovic's claims about possessing secret dossiers "whose release could have very serious and far-reaching consequences" for both him and the state will be thoroughly looked into. Tanjug

Nikolić to make decision on ex-RDB chief "independently"

Nikolić told reporters in Brus, southern Serbia, that the request for pardon must pass procedures in the prison where Marković is serving a sentence, the court which sentenced him, the Ministry of Justice and the competent amnesty commission.

Nikolić said that he has not received any request for Marković’s pardon, adding that he understands the “heated atmosphere” that has been created concerning the decision he “may or may never make.”

Nikolić added that “the whole story in the media about Marković’s pardon is practically a pressure on him as the president of Serbia.”

Nikolić said he makes independent decisions about whether a prisoner will be pardoned or not and they are to be influenced neither by the government, nor the public, nor anybody else.

Radomir Marković, former chief of the former Department of State Security (RDB, was sentenced to 40 years in prison for involvement in the murder of four official of the Serbian Renewal Movement (SPO) in October 1999 and in the kidnapping and murder of former Serbian president Ivan Stambolić in August 2000.

Marković, who was arrested in 2001, recently asked for a pardon from the Serbian president and the Ministry of Justice has given a negative opinion about the request.

The former RDB chief has also been accused of threatening to publish secret files allegedly in possession of his wife, which he has denied.

"No pardon"

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Ivica Dačić said Thursday that the negative attitude of the Ministry of Justice concerning pardon for former Serbia’s state security chief Radomir Marković is also the position of the government on that issue.

"Nobody in the government's institutions is even thinking about revision of cases to pardon those convicted for the most serious crimes," Dačić told reporters in the Serbian parliament.

Dačić said that unnecessary fuss has been put up in the public about Marković’s appeal for clemency since “nobody has been making any announcement about a decision that the state president may make.”

He stressed the need to respect the Constitution and refused to make any statements that could undermine the competencies of the President of the Republic of Serbia.

The prime minister, however, said that the Marković case is being used by some to make unjustified accusations about the current government supposedly protecting those responsible for the killings that took place before the democratic changes in the country in 2000.

He pointed out that it all comes down to political accusations and stated that Marković's claims about possessing secret dossiers "whose release could have very serious and far-reaching consequences" for both him and the state will be thoroughly looked into.