UNMIK: Arrest unrelated to elections

UNMIK police officer Robert Apel yesterday denied trying to arrest Pristina municipality coordinator Slavisa Nikolic for organizing elections in Kosovo on May 11. Apel told KIM Radio that he had come to Gracanica on the basis of a complaint filed against Nikolic that one of his security guards had tried to arrest a Kosovo Serb. UNMIK: Arrest unrelated to elections “We were conducting a preliminary investigation about complaints against Nikolic that he had sent some people to arrest other people for their involvement in the elections. One of those people was a candidate in the Gracanica area. There were some threats, and Nikolic sent some people to arrest him because he had allegedly broken his window,” the UNMIK police officer said. Apel added that Nikolic’s security guard had no right to arrest anybody, and that this had been the reason for the complaint. He added that he had only come to Nikolic’s office in Gracanica in the company of an interpreter. “The case is now in the hands of the KPS that will get to the bottom of the matter,” Apel said. Nebojsa Peric, head of the “Vidovdan“ list for the local elections and a Pristina municipality employee, confirmed to KIM Radio that he reported Nikolic for harassment on political grounds. On May 13, the Kosovo Ministry office in Kosovska Mitrovica announced that an UNMIK police officer in Gracanica had tried to arrest Nikolic for organizing elections in the province. UNMIK spokesman Alexander Ivanko told a press conference that there had been no orders to arrest Serbs for organizing or holding parliamentary or local elections in Kosovo.

UNMIK: Arrest unrelated to elections

“We were conducting a preliminary investigation about complaints against Nikolić that he had sent some people to arrest other people for their involvement in the elections. One of those people was a candidate in the Gračanica area. There were some threats, and Nikolić sent some people to arrest him because he had allegedly broken his window,” the UNMIK police officer said.

Apel added that Nikolić’s security guard had no right to arrest anybody, and that this had been the reason for the complaint.

He added that he had only come to Nikolić’s office in Gračanica in the company of an interpreter.

“The case is now in the hands of the KPS that will get to the bottom of the matter,” Apel said.

Nebojša Perić, head of the “Vidovdan“ list for the local elections and a Priština municipality employee, confirmed to KIM Radio that he reported Nikolić for harassment on political grounds.

On May 13, the Kosovo Ministry office in Kosovska Mitrovica announced that an UNMIK police officer in Gračanica had tried to arrest Nikolić for organizing elections in the province.

UNMIK spokesman Alexander Ivanko told a press conference that there had been no orders to arrest Serbs for organizing or holding parliamentary or local elections in Kosovo.