Munter wants Serb extradited to U.S.

U.S. Ambassador Cameron Munter wants Serbia to return Miladin Kovacevic, accused of beating a fellow student into a coma, to America to face trial. Munter told the Beta news agency that the U.S. was “shocked” and “embittered” by the news of Kovacevic’s case and the conduct of the Serbian Consulate that had allowed him to flee the country. Munter wants Serb extradited to U.S. The ambassador added that the U.S. was “embittered by the behavior of the Serbian Consulate, which reacted inappropriately by issuing Kovacevic temporary travel documents, after a judge had told him to turn in his passport and not leave the territory of the U.S.” “I am personally embittered because of this tragedy, and the suffering that Bryan Steinhauer and his family are going through,” Munter said, adding that “this case is a top priority for the U.S. government.” Munter said that he expected the “Serbian Foreign Ministry to punish the Serbian vice consul to the U.S. Igor Milosevic for his behavior, and look into the involvement of other government officials.” “I met with senior Serbian Foreign Ministry officials today, and officially asked for the return of Kovacevic to the United States in order to face the charges against him,” the ambassador said. He said that Serbian officials had stated that they were ready to cooperate and were considering “all possible options for resolving the current situation.” The foreign ministry’s cabinet told Beta that vice-consul Milosevic had been summoned to Belgrade to face disciplinary action in order to uncover what exactly took place, and why Kovacevic had been given temporary travel approval. Kovacevic, who is studying in the U.S., is accused of assaulting and severely injuring a fellow college student. The U.S. government released him on bail before the beginning of the trial, but prohibited him from leaving the country, and confiscated his passport. Cameron Munter (FoNet, archive)

Munter wants Serb extradited to U.S.

The ambassador added that the U.S. was “embittered by the behavior of the Serbian Consulate, which reacted inappropriately by issuing Kovačević temporary travel documents, after a judge had told him to turn in his passport and not leave the territory of the U.S.”

“I am personally embittered because of this tragedy, and the suffering that Bryan Steinhauer and his family are going through,” Munter said, adding that “this case is a top priority for the U.S. government.”

Munter said that he expected the “Serbian Foreign Ministry to punish the Serbian vice consul to the U.S. Igor Milošević for his behavior, and look into the involvement of other government officials.”

“I met with senior Serbian Foreign Ministry officials today, and officially asked for the return of Kovačević to the United States in order to face the charges against him,” the ambassador said.

He said that Serbian officials had stated that they were ready to cooperate and were considering “all possible options for resolving the current situation.”

The foreign ministry’s cabinet told Beta that vice-consul Milošević had been summoned to Belgrade to face disciplinary action in order to uncover what exactly took place, and why Kovačević had been given temporary travel approval.

Kovačević, who is studying in the U.S., is accused of assaulting and severely injuring a fellow college student. The U.S. government released him on bail before the beginning of the trial, but prohibited him from leaving the country, and confiscated his passport.