Serbian government wants "pretrial release" of Ivanović

BELGRADE, PRISTINA The government of Serbia demands that the leader of Citizens' Initiative “Serbia, Democracy, Justice” Oliver Ivanovic be immediately released pending trial. This was announced Minister without Portfolio in charge of Kosovo Aleksandar Vulin, who spoke on Tuesday, noting that this arrest was "an attempt to destabilize the north of Kosovo and Metohija." Serbian government wants "pretrial release" of Ivanovic "The Government of Serbia demands that Oliver Ivanovic be released immediately, granted a pretrial release and be allowed to prepare his defense in an adequate way, and until that time to be transferred to adequate facilities in the north of Kosovo and Metohija so that his health and safety would be protected,” Vulin told Tanjug. The government demands for the indictment against Ivanovic to be revealed as soon as possible so that it would be clear “where we stand, what he had done wrong and what he has to defend himself against," he stressed. Vulin noted that Ivanovic's arrest is an act that causes grave instability and raises serious questions and doubts about everything that is happening in Kosovo-Metohija and about real intentions of those who speak about normalization of relations and exposing war crimes. "An arrest for war crimes committed 15 years ago, while all those years Oliver Ivanovic was available to them - both as an official in Pristina institutions, and as a man living in Mitrovica and traveling around the world - it is, to say the least, absurd," said Vulin. Vulin stressed that the government will not allow the arrest to be used for “dark plans”, such as possible introduction of interim administration in northern Kosovska Mitrovica. Noting that this could be one of the motives for the arrest, Vulin urged the Serbs in Kosovo to keep calm and dignified, and to coordinate their actions with the government in Belgrade. An international judge at the Basic Court in Kosovska Mitrovica ordered the one-month detention for Ivanovic earlier on Tuesday. Aleksandar Vulin (Beta, file) Serbs demand release Representatives of north Kosovo Serbs have demanded that Oliver Ivanovic be released, "and if that does not happen, members of the GI SDP have threatened to step down from their positions in local municipal assemblies in northern Kosovo," Tanjug said. After a meeting with EULEX officials in Kosovska Mitrovica, representatives of the GI SDP said that on Tuesday and in the coming days, protests will be organized in the town unless Ivanovic is released pending trial. Addressing the reporters, GI SDP representative Ksenija Bozovic noted that the protest that lasted for over two hours in front of the court, police and EULEX buildings in Kosovska Mitrovica on Monday evening brought together councilors, representatives of the Serbian government's Office for Kosovo and Metohija and mayors from northern Kosovo, all of them sharing the same stand that Ivanovic is innocent. Ljubomir Maric, president of the Management Team tasked with establishing a community of Serb municipalities, stated that it is completely unacceptable for the Serb community that any investigation is conducted in this way. "The Serb community cannot be treated in the way that implies the detention of people," Maric said, stressing that all other accused are allowed to be released pending trial. Zvecan Mayor Vucina Jankovic said that he and other leaders of the municipality of Zvecan condemned in the strongest terms this act of EULEX and Ivanovic's arrest. "We are also of the opinion that this arrest has political connotations, as it does not contribute to peace and establishment of the rule of law, which is EULEX's objective," Jankovic said. Aleksandar Spiric, president of the interim municipal body in Kosovska Mitrovica, also condemned Ivanovic's arrest and requested an urgent release. The EULEX Mission confirmed that, at the request of an international prosecutor with the Kosovo Special Prosecutors Office (KSPO), an international judge at the Basic Court in Kosovska Mitrovica ordered that Ivanovic be in detention for one month, on suspicion that he was involved in war crimes and an aggravated murder. EULEX noted that Ivanovic voluntarily presented himself to the police station in northern Kosovska Mitrovica on Monday, where the KSPO prosecutor conducted an interview with him, in line with the prior arrangement between the prosecutor and Ivanovic's legal counsel. "After the questioning, Ivanovic was arrested on the prosecutor's order, and appeared before the international judge at the Basic Court in Mitrovica," EULEX noted. Tanjug

Serbian government wants "pretrial release" of Ivanović

"The Government of Serbia demands that Oliver Ivanović be released immediately, granted a pretrial release and be allowed to prepare his defense in an adequate way, and until that time to be transferred to adequate facilities in the north of Kosovo and Metohija so that his health and safety would be protected,” Vulin told Tanjug.

The government demands for the indictment against Ivanović to be revealed as soon as possible so that it would be clear “where we stand, what he had done wrong and what he has to defend himself against," he stressed.

Vulin noted that Ivanović's arrest is an act that causes grave instability and raises serious questions and doubts about everything that is happening in Kosovo-Metohija and about real intentions of those who speak about normalization of relations and exposing war crimes.

"An arrest for war crimes committed 15 years ago, while all those years Oliver Ivanović was available to them - both as an official in Priština institutions, and as a man living in Mitrovica and traveling around the world - it is, to say the least, absurd," said Vulin.

Vulin stressed that the government will not allow the arrest to be used for “dark plans”, such as possible introduction of interim administration in northern Kosovska Mitrovica.

Noting that this could be one of the motives for the arrest, Vulin urged the Serbs in Kosovo to keep calm and dignified, and to coordinate their actions with the government in Belgrade.

An international judge at the Basic Court in Kosovska Mitrovica ordered the one-month detention for Ivanović earlier on Tuesday.

Serbs demand release

Representatives of north Kosovo Serbs have demanded that Oliver Ivanović be released, "and if that does not happen, members of the GI SDP have threatened to step down from their positions in local municipal assemblies in northern Kosovo," Tanjug said.

After a meeting with EULEX officials in Kosovska Mitrovica, representatives of the GI SDP said that on Tuesday and in the coming days, protests will be organized in the town unless Ivanović is released pending trial.

Addressing the reporters, GI SDP representative Ksenija Božović noted that the protest that lasted for over two hours in front of the court, police and EULEX buildings in Kosovska Mitrovica on Monday evening brought together councilors, representatives of the Serbian government's Office for Kosovo and Metohija and mayors from northern Kosovo, all of them sharing the same stand that Ivanović is innocent.

Ljubomir Marić, president of the Management Team tasked with establishing a community of Serb municipalities, stated that it is completely unacceptable for the Serb community that any investigation is conducted in this way.

"The Serb community cannot be treated in the way that implies the detention of people," Marić said, stressing that all other accused are allowed to be released pending trial.

Zvečan Mayor Vučina Janković said that he and other leaders of the municipality of Zvečan condemned in the strongest terms this act of EULEX and Ivanović's arrest.

"We are also of the opinion that this arrest has political connotations, as it does not contribute to peace and establishment of the rule of law, which is EULEX's objective," Janković said.

Aleksandar Špirić, president of the interim municipal body in Kosovska Mitrovica, also condemned Ivanović's arrest and requested an urgent release.

The EULEX Mission confirmed that, at the request of an international prosecutor with the Kosovo Special Prosecutors Office (KSPO), an international judge at the Basic Court in Kosovska Mitrovica ordered that Ivanović be in detention for one month, on suspicion that he was involved in war crimes and an aggravated murder.

EULEX noted that Ivanović voluntarily presented himself to the police station in northern Kosovska Mitrovica on Monday, where the KSPO prosecutor conducted an interview with him, in line with the prior arrangement between the prosecutor and Ivanović's legal counsel.

"After the questioning, Ivanović was arrested on the prosecutor's order, and appeared before the international judge at the Basic Court in Mitrovica," EULEX noted.