Investigation into police abuse of Serbs "to be monitored"

BELGRADE Office for Kosovo and Metohija Director Aleksandar Vulin on Tuesday visited the Serbs beaten up by the Kosovo police (KPS) on Orthodox Christmas. Vulin said that "the investigation into the case would be closely monitored". Investigation into police abuse of Serbs "to be monitored" Addressing reporters, he stated that Darko Vlasaj was recovering well at the Military Medical Academy (VMA) in Belgrade. He noted that he was grateful to VMA doctors and that Vlasaj and himself were grateful to Defense Minister Aleksandar Vucic for his engagement concerning Vlasaj's hospitalisation at the clinic, "and other things he did in this case". Vulin added that the investigation "of the EU mission in Kosovo, EULEX" would be closely monitored. "The Republic of Serbia is willing to carry out the investigation in case the international community cannot do so," Vulin said and added that there was a risk that every crime which goes by unpunished can be committed again. "Serbia wants the international community to stick to its promises and establish rule of law for all citizens in Kosovo and Metohija in keeping with its capacities and ensure freedom of movement and personal safety and security of property," Vulin said. According to him, Serbia and hopefully the global public "have now seen the true face of the so-called Kosovo independence". Vulin said that the last apartheid of the 21st century was happening in Kosovo and Metohija, and added that Vlasaj was brutally beaten because he visited Gracanica and because he dared to socialize with Serbs although he is of mixed, Albanian-Serb heritage. "The Republic of Serbia is doing all it can to end this apartheid and to prevent such incidents from happening again," Vulin noted. The Kosovo police detained ten Serbs in the enclave of Gracanica on January 7, after Christmas liturgy in the nearby medieval Serb Orthodox monastery on charges of disturbance of public peace and order and disrespect for police instructions during Vulin's visit to Kosovo. The arrested Serbs were released from the Pristina prison detention the next day. Two of them sought treatment in the northern Kosovska Mitrovica hospital, saying that the Kosovo police officers had beaten them up. After this, Vlasaj was transferred to VMA. Later in the week, a court in Pristina dropped all misdemeanor charges raised against the group. Aleksandar Vulin (Beta, file) "Dacic and Thaci decide" Commenting on the upcoming continuation of the Kosovo dialogue, Aleksandar Vulin has said on Tuesday that working groups can conduct the Belgrade-Pristina technical dialogue, but that decisions are taken by Ivica Dacic and Hashim Thaci. "The expert commissions could conduct the technical dialogue, but they cannot decide. The final decisions will be taken by Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dacic and representative of the interim institutions in Pristina Hashim Thaci," Vulin said. "I hope that Pristina's side will not take much into account that the elections within Thaci's party are scheduled for January 25, and that would not be the reason for using these negotiations for improving the standing, and thus securing more votes in the party congress," the Kosovo office chief said. He expressed his hope that the EU "will understand that, and expects that all participants will rise above Pristina's domestic politics, and take care of the interests of the people in Kosovo and Metohija". Tanjug

Investigation into police abuse of Serbs "to be monitored"

Addressing reporters, he stated that Darko Vlasaj was recovering well at the Military Medical Academy (VMA) in Belgrade.

He noted that he was grateful to VMA doctors and that Vlasaj and himself were grateful to Defense Minister Aleksandar Vučić for his engagement concerning Vlasaj's hospitalisation at the clinic, "and other things he did in this case".

Vulin added that the investigation "of the EU mission in Kosovo, EULEX" would be closely monitored.

"The Republic of Serbia is willing to carry out the investigation in case the international community cannot do so," Vulin said and added that there was a risk that every crime which goes by unpunished can be committed again.

"Serbia wants the international community to stick to its promises and establish rule of law for all citizens in Kosovo and Metohija in keeping with its capacities and ensure freedom of movement and personal safety and security of property," Vulin said.

According to him, Serbia and hopefully the global public "have now seen the true face of the so-called Kosovo independence".

Vulin said that the last apartheid of the 21st century was happening in Kosovo and Metohija, and added that Vlasaj was brutally beaten because he visited Gračanica and because he dared to socialize with Serbs although he is of mixed, Albanian-Serb heritage.

"The Republic of Serbia is doing all it can to end this apartheid and to prevent such incidents from happening again," Vulin noted.

The Kosovo police detained ten Serbs in the enclave of Gračanica on January 7, after Christmas liturgy in the nearby medieval Serb Orthodox monastery on charges of disturbance of public peace and order and disrespect for police instructions during Vulin's visit to Kosovo.

The arrested Serbs were released from the Priština prison detention the next day. Two of them sought treatment in the northern Kosovska Mitrovica hospital, saying that the Kosovo police officers had beaten them up. After this, Vlasaj was transferred to VMA.

Later in the week, a court in Priština dropped all misdemeanor charges raised against the group.

"Dačić and Thaci decide"

Commenting on the upcoming continuation of the Kosovo dialogue, Aleksandar Vulin has said on Tuesday that working groups can conduct the Belgrade-Priština technical dialogue, but that decisions are taken by Ivica Dačić and Hashim Thaci.

"The expert commissions could conduct the technical dialogue, but they cannot decide. The final decisions will be taken by Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dačić and representative of the interim institutions in Priština Hashim Thaci," Vulin said.

"I hope that Pristina's side will not take much into account that the elections within Thaci's party are scheduled for January 25, and that would not be the reason for using these negotiations for improving the standing, and thus securing more votes in the party congress," the Kosovo office chief said.

He expressed his hope that the EU "will understand that, and expects that all participants will rise above Priština's domestic politics, and take care of the interests of the people in Kosovo and Metohija".