The Kosovo Special Prosecutor’s Office issued an indictment against former Minister of Local Government Administration, Ivan Todosijevic for his statement on Racak. According to Pristina-based Gazeta Express, Todosijevic, while acting in his capacity as a minister of the Kosovo Government, is accused of „deliberately and publicly spreading hatred, disagreement and intolerance among ethnic, racial and ethnic groups living in Kosovo by abusing his position or powers.“
„The cause of the aggression on our country was a so-called humanitarian catastrophe in the territory of Kosovo and Metohija, the fictitious Racak, and these Shiptar terrorists were the ones who invented it, who committed the biggest atrocities in Kosovo and Metohija for which no one was held responsible. They committed crimes before the NATO aggression, killed good Serbian hosts in their workplaces. They continued their murderous rampage during the aggression and even after the arrival of the so-called peacekeeping mission in Kosovo and Metohija“ – Todosijevic said at the time, which led to his dismissal from the function of the Minister of Local Government Administration.
The Kosovo Special Prosecutor Office’s indictment alleges that Todosijevic committed the criminal act of „inciting national, racial, religious hatred, restlessness or intolerance“ from Article 147 paragraph 2 from the paragraph 1 of the Criminal Code of Kosovo, which is punishable by one to eight years in prison.
The Kosovo Special Prosecutor’s Office launched an investigation against the Minister of Local Government Administration from the ranks of Srpska Lista, Ivan Todosijevic in early April. Todosijevic was previously dismissed by the Kosovo Prime Minister, Ramush Haradinaj and replaced by Adriana Hodzic.
Haradinaj dismissed Todosijevic because of his “hate speech,” but only after the media recalled Todosijevic’s statement during a ceremony marking the 20th anniversary of the NATO bombing in Zvecan.
In April, the Kosovo government’s Cabinet authorized the Ministry of Justice to draft a „law on punishing the denial of crimes by Serbia and genocide during the recent war in Kosovo.“
The drafting of this law was condemned by Serbian officials, including the Head of the Kosovo Office, Marko Djuric.
„The announcement of the introduction of verbal delict in Kosovo and Metohija in the 21st century is a cynical game of Shiptar war criminals and terrorists, who can be found in provisional institutions in Pristina,“ Djuric said.
Lawyer Nebojsa Vlajic told KoSSev that there is no basis to open an investigation against the former minister, since Todosijevic, at the time he made the controversial statement, was a public office official and as such is protected by immunity for all verbal crimes. Vlajic also added that this investigation threatens to jeopardize freedom of speech.
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Gazeta: Kosovo Special Prosecutor’s Office has launched an investigation against Todosijevic
Preuzimanje i objavljivanje tekstova sa portala KoSSev nije dozvoljeno bez navođenja izvora. Hvala na poštovanju etike novinarske profesije.
