Ministry of Justice: The verdict in Pristina is culmination of abuse of the judiciary for political purposes

According to the ministry, during the entire procedure, no relevant evidence was presented to support the accusations against them.

"This decision is the pinnacle of abuse of the judiciary for political purposes and clearly shows that there is no independent judiciary in Pristina, but an instrument of repression that intimidates and persecutes Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija," the statement said.

It was emphasized that the judgment was passed on the basis of speculation and fabricated accusations, without a single credible witness, without material traces and without respecting the right to an effective defense, which is inadmissible according to the elementary standards of a fair trial.

In the statement, they reminded the international community that such actions grossly violate basic human rights, the right to freedom and a fair trial guaranteed by the UN conventions that apply in Kosovo and Metohija, in accordance with Resolution 1244.

"The goal of this decision is not justice, but political revenge and ethnic intimidation of Serbs, with the clear intention of making their survival in Kosovo and Metohija impossible, they assessed and emphasized that Serbia will not allow such illegal and discriminatory actions to be normalized.

Also, they require the international missions in Kosovo and Metohija, including EULEX and UNMIK, to react urgently and stop the judicial terror that Pristina is carrying out against our people.

"Serbia will also appeal to international donors who have programs to support the judiciary in Kosovo and Metohija, with the request that these programs be stopped as long as Pristina violates the basic human rights of Serbs," they stated and added that they will inform all relevant international organizations about the case and launch all available legal and diplomatic mechanisms to protect the convicted and all other Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija.

The Ministry of Justice emphasizes that it will provide full legal and institutional support to the families of Milenkovic, Vlajić and Pantić, as well as their lawyers, in order to overturn this decision in the appeal procedure.

They also assessed that with such judgments, Pristina clearly shows that it does not want peace, dialogue and legal security, but rather implements a policy of persecution and destabilization.

"Serbia will not stop until every Serb in Kosovo and Metohija can live freely, without fear of political processes and fabricated indictments, the statement emphasized.

By the decision of the Basic Court of Temporary Institutions in Pristina, Milenković and Vlajić were sentenced to five years in prison each for the alleged crime of terrorism, and Pantić to two years in prison for the alleged crime of hooliganism.