Protest against arrest of Kosovo Serb held in north

Kosovo police have detained Jovica Miljkovic, suspected of participating in an attack in Kosovska Mitrovica a month ago. The local Serbs are protesting against the arrest. Protest against arrest of Kosovo Serb held in north Miljkovic is suspected of participating in a group who damaged the guard house that Kosovo police officers intended to set up in northern part of Kosovska Mitrovica a month ago. “He was remanded in custody for 48 hours police custody,” his lawyer Ljubomir Pantovic told Tanjug. On April 9, after the murder of Kosovo Albanian Selver Haradinaj, Kosovo Serbs prevented the Kosovo police members from setting up several guard houses in the neighborhood of Tri solitera and demolished one of the houses. The protests of Serbs in Kosovska Mitrovica over Miljkovic's arrest started this morning, blocking the road connecting northern Kosovska Mitrovica and the multi-ethnic village of Suvi Do. A protest is also organized in front of the Kosovska Mitrovica municipal assembly, where citizens gathered blocking the road with their cars. Vehicles are also blocking the road near the main bridge across the Ibar River in northern Kosovska Mitrovica leading towards the Bosnjacka Mahala settlement. Members of KFOR and the Kosovo police are present in the neighborhood of Tri solitera, maintaining public order and peace. KPS Regional Spokesperson Besim Hoti told Tanjug that Miljkovic was arrested on Wednesday morning in Suvi Do. Miljkovic works as an economist in Waterworks Public Company and as a translator in UNMIK in Kosovska Mitrovica. Serb National Council of Northern Kosovo (SNV) has assessed that his arrest represented a pressure on the Serbian community and the UN Mission in Kosovo. Waterworks Public Company Director and SNV Executive Council member Vladimir Rakic said that Miljkovic was a respectable resident of Suvi Do, that he had worked for various international organizations in Kosovo and that his arrest was a clear message to Serbs in the multiethnic village that they, their neighbors, families and friends could meet the exact same fate. SNV President Milan Ivanovic has assessed that the security situation in northern Kosovo has deteriorated and that everything is being done in order to expel the Serbs. SNV Executive Council member Tomislav Zivanovic has called on representatives of the international organizations in Kosovo and the Serbian authorities to react to Miljkovic’s arrest and other pressures that the Serbs in the province are exposed to. Kosovska Mitrovica Mayor Krstimir Pantic, who is taking part in the protest together with citizens, told Beta news agency that Miljkovic’s arrest was just another pressure on the northern Kosovo Serbs and UNMIK because the Kosovo Albanians want to close down the UN mission. According to him, they are planning on forming so-called Municipality of North Mitrovica which would work under the Pristina laws. Pantic added that he expected the international community in Kosovo and UNMIK Chief Farid Zarif to use their influence in the “illegal Albanian institutions in order to release Miljkovic”. Beta Tanjug

Protest against arrest of Kosovo Serb held in north

Miljković is suspected of participating in a group who damaged the guard house that Kosovo police officers intended to set up in northern part of Kosovska Mitrovica a month ago.

“He was remanded in custody for 48 hours police custody,” his lawyer Ljubomir Pantović told Tanjug.

On April 9, after the murder of Kosovo Albanian Selver Haradinaj, Kosovo Serbs prevented the Kosovo police members from setting up several guard houses in the neighborhood of Tri solitera and demolished one of the houses.

The protests of Serbs in Kosovska Mitrovica over Miljković's arrest started this morning, blocking the road connecting northern Kosovska Mitrovica and the multi-ethnic village of Suvi Do.

A protest is also organized in front of the Kosovska Mitrovica municipal assembly, where citizens gathered blocking the road with their cars.

Vehicles are also blocking the road near the main bridge across the Ibar River in northern Kosovska Mitrovica leading towards the Bošnjačka Mahala settlement.

Members of KFOR and the Kosovo police are present in the neighborhood of Tri solitera, maintaining public order and peace.

KPS Regional Spokesperson Besim Hoti told Tanjug that Miljković was arrested on Wednesday morning in Suvi Do.

Miljković works as an economist in Waterworks Public Company and as a translator in UNMIK in Kosovska Mitrovica.

Serb National Council of Northern Kosovo (SNV) has assessed that his arrest represented a pressure on the Serbian community and the UN Mission in Kosovo.

Waterworks Public Company Director and SNV Executive Council member Vladimir Rakić said that Miljković was a respectable resident of Suvi Do, that he had worked for various international organizations in Kosovo and that his arrest was a clear message to Serbs in the multiethnic village that they, their neighbors, families and friends could meet the exact same fate.

SNV President Milan Ivanović has assessed that the security situation in northern Kosovo has deteriorated and that everything is being done in order to expel the Serbs.

SNV Executive Council member Tomislav Živanović has called on representatives of the international organizations in Kosovo and the Serbian authorities to react to Miljković’s arrest and other pressures that the Serbs in the province are exposed to.

Kosovska Mitrovica Mayor Krstimir Pantić, who is taking part in the protest together with citizens, told Beta news agency that Miljković’s arrest was just another pressure on the northern Kosovo Serbs and UNMIK because the Kosovo Albanians want to close down the UN mission.

According to him, they are planning on forming so-called Municipality of North Mitrovica which would work under the Priština laws.

Pantić added that he expected the international community in Kosovo and UNMIK Chief Farid Zarif to use their influence in the “illegal Albanian institutions in order to release Miljković”.