The custody of a young man from North Mitrovica, who was arrested on May 29 in Zvecan, when local Serbs and KFOR members clashed, has been extended by another two months.
The attorney of the arrested D. O. Predrag Miljkovic confirmed for KoSSev that he received a decision on the extension of custody yesterday. He added that he has filed an appeal with the Appellate Court.
„I will fight for it. I truly hope that the Appellate Court will more adequately determine the conditions for him to be released at his own recognizance,“ Miljkovic told KoSSev.
He explained that, according to the court, there are still conditions for the extension of custody, such as the risk of flight, the risk of repeating the crime and that it will affect the witnesses and the investigation.
Miljkovic, who revealed that immediately after that his client was beaten by police officers immediately after his arrest. He stated that he is physically well now, and that he has recovered, but also that he has visible scars.
In addition to D.O., R.P. was also arrested in Zvecan on May 29th. Shortly after the arrest, both were remanded to a 30-day long custody.
However, R.P. was released on his own recognizance last week, after spending 26 days in detention.
Representatives of Kosovo Serbs have been demanding the release of R.P and D.O ever since their arrest, which was also a request repeated at protests held in front of municipal buildings in Zvecan, Leposavic and Zubin Potok, which have been going on for more than a month, that is, since special units of the Kosovo Police forcibly entered these facilities.
They claim that R.P. and D.O. are innocent, that they were just peacefully protesting and that they did not commit any violence on May 29.
Shortly after their arrest, several video clips were published by media showing how, before the conflict broke out, members of KFOR, who had set up a cordon, pulled both of them from the crowd where they were sitting on the asphalt together with other protesting citizens.
At the time, official Belgrade made the same allegations, claiming that both were beaten by members of the Kosovo Police. Similar accusations were made against Pristina in connection with the arrest of Serbs from the north that subsequently took place.
The Serbian liaison officer, Dejan Pavicevic, recently visited the arrested Serbs and compiled a report, stating that „Kurti’s police officers mistreated them brutally.“
„They tied their hands with plastic ties so tight that they complain they can’t feel their thumbs. They have bruises, hematomas on their stomachs. They were hit in the liver, all of which can leave lasting consequences. And let’s not mention the fact that they cussed and insulted them. You arrest someone and charge him with the crime of racial, national and religious intolerance and then curse his Serbian mother. It goes beyond hypocrisy. I haven’t seen anything like this in ten years. The level of horror and everything they experienced is impossible to recount. I hope that these people will not have lasting consequences. The question is how they will heal their psychological traumas.“
The Serbian president Aleksandar Vucic presented this report to the high representative of the EU, Josep Borrell and Miroslav Lajcak, during a recent meeting in Brussels. At the same time, he said that even EULEX does not understand why D.O. and R.P. were arrested and held in custody.
Vucic then refused to meet with Kurti, stating that the conversation with the Kosovo PM would be pointless until the arrested Serbs were released.
In the meantime, Borrell reacted, noting that he had asked EULEX to conduct an investigation into allegations of arbitrary arrests and ill-treatment of prisoners.
At the same time, after last week’s arrest of ethnic Serb N.O. in North Mitrovica, he said that he was alarmed by the extrajudicial arrests of Kosovo Serbs.
Meanwhile, Pristina officials have denied these claims, saying that the arrests are made in accordance with the law.
At the same time, Kosovo Justice Minister Albulena Haxhiu and Interior Minister Xhelal Svecla recently sent two letters to Borrell stating that Pavicevic’s report on the mistreatment of prisoners contains falsehoods, that it is extremely one-sided and that „none of his claims are valid“.
Preuzimanje i objavljivanje tekstova sa portala KoSSev nije dozvoljeno bez navođenja izvora. Hvala na poštovanju etike novinarske profesije.
