Kovačević parents claim son is innocent

The father of Serbian student Miladin Kovacevic says that his son is innocent of the charges he is wanted for by the U.S. Petar Kovacevic, along with wife Branka and Miladin's lawyer, spoke in a news conference in Belgrade today. Kovacevic parents claim son is innocent He said that his son tried to separate students who were fighting in a bar in New York state and did not “hit or kick Bryan Steinhauer,“ who was seriously injured. Miladin was arrested over the assault and released on bail before he fled the U.S. and returned to Serbia. Kovacevic’s parents today claimed that reports filed by local police at the scene prove the innocence of their son and that the help which the Serbian Consulate-General in New York provided for their son was “in accordance with the law.“ The Kovacevics said that they have been threatened and pressured and that they are afraid for their son and daughter’s lives. Branka Kovacevic, who was in America at the time of the incident, added that no one informed her officially as a parent that her son had been taken into prison for participating in a bar fight, but that they were notified of it through friends. She said that her son, who is a student at New York state’s Binghamton University, experienced “serious torture“ while in prison, after being thrown in with “the worst criminals“, and received death threats. Branka also told reporters that Miladin was also not allowed to talk to a lawyer, and decided to leave the U.S. after receiving threatening phone calls, adding that he is currently “in his place of residence”. “We realized that we had to go. It was better to die on the way or disappear together than to disappear over there,” she said. According to her, Steinhauer has since left the hospital with his condition improving. Kovacevic’s parents claim that the reporting in the American media about their son and the fight at the student bar “is not based on the real events“ and that Steinhauer “started the conflict by attacking the girlfriend of one of Miladin’s friends“. "Our son interfered to separate those who took part in the fight," Petar Kovacevic said, adding that Steinhauer, who was drunk at the time, attacked Miladin, who in turn "pushed him away". According to him, Miladin is depressed over everything that has happened. The family attorney, Veselin Cerovic, who spoke in the same news conference, said that "any possibility of Miladins's extradition has been ruled out", since there is no legal ground for this. Cerovic said that a U.S. embassy official in Belgrade he spoke to could not tell him what the charges against his client are. He added that there is no description of the act that Kovacevic is blamed for, that witness testimonies are contradictory, while "the whole case is gaining huge proportions because of political statements". Branka Kovacevic, Veselin Cerovic, Petar Kovacevic (Tanjug)

Kovačević parents claim son is innocent

He said that his son tried to separate students who were fighting in a bar in New York state and did not “hit or kick Bryan Steinhauer,“ who was seriously injured.

Miladin was arrested over the assault and released on bail before he fled the U.S. and returned to Serbia.

Kovačević’s parents today claimed that reports filed by local police at the scene prove the innocence of their son and that the help which the Serbian Consulate-General in New York provided for their son was “in accordance with the law.“

The Kovačevićs said that they have been threatened and pressured and that they are afraid for their son and daughter’s lives.

Branka Kovačević, who was in America at the time of the incident, added that no one informed her officially as a parent that her son had been taken into prison for participating in a bar fight, but that they were notified of it through friends.

She said that her son, who is a student at New York state’s Binghamton University, experienced “serious torture“ while in prison, after being thrown in with “the worst criminals“, and received death threats.

Branka also told reporters that Miladin was also not allowed to talk to a lawyer, and decided to leave the U.S. after receiving threatening phone calls, adding that he is currently “in his place of residence”.

“We realized that we had to go. It was better to die on the way or disappear together than to disappear over there,” she said.

According to her, Steinhauer has since left the hospital with his condition improving.

Kovačević’s parents claim that the reporting in the American media about their son and the fight at the student bar “is not based on the real events“ and that Steinhauer “started the conflict by attacking the girlfriend of one of Miladin’s friends“.

"Our son interfered to separate those who took part in the fight," Petar Kovačević said, adding that Steinhauer, who was drunk at the time, attacked Miladin, who in turn "pushed him away".

According to him, Miladin is depressed over everything that has happened.

The family attorney, Veselin Cerović, who spoke in the same news conference, said that "any possibility of Miladins's extradition has been ruled out", since there is no legal ground for this.

Cerović said that a U.S. embassy official in Belgrade he spoke to could not tell him what the charges against his client are.

He added that there is no description of the act that Kovačević is blamed for, that witness testimonies are contradictory, while "the whole case is gaining huge proportions because of political statements".