The Kosovo Special Prosecutor’s Office has indicted two Serbs with initials S.J. and I.S., who were arrested at Jarinje at the end of May, as confirmed by their lawyers, Ljubomir Pantović and Miloš Delević, for KoSSev.
Both have been charged with the criminal offense of „participation in a group that commits criminal acts or hooliganism,“ while I.S. faces an additional charge of „unauthorized possession of weapons.“
The lawyers pointed out that this is a somewhat more favorable situation compared to the very serious charges under which they were initially arrested, which accused them of „endangering the constitutional order and security of Kosovo.“
Kosovo Police officers arrested the two Serbian citizens on May 31st after finding a baton, a camouflage mask, a hammer, knives, emblems with Serbian national symbols, drugs, and other items in their possession.
These two Serbian men were traveling in a car registered with license plates from the Republic of Slovenia. They were then detained for a 48-hour period.
In the initial statement, the police did not specify the exact location of the arrest but stated that it happened in the north.
However, a day later, the head of the Kosovo MUP, Xhelal Svecla, confirmed that the arrest occurred at Jarinje, claiming that one of them was a former fighter from Košare and allegedly a member of the Serbian Army brigade responsible for „destabilizing states.“
They were subsequently placed in one-month detention in early June.
Following today’s decision by the Special Prosecutor’s Office, attorney Ljubomir Pantović said that considering that the proceedings began with much more serious charges, the current situation is favorable.
„Given how the process started with very serious charges, this is quite good. No one is in a good position when the prosecutor accuses them, especially the special prosecutor, but this is much better than it was at the beginning,“ Pantović said.
The lawyer recalls that the initial proceedings against S.J. and I.S. were conducted for „endangering the constitutional order and security of Kosovo.“
„At the beginning, the investigation was conducted in that direction, and that is a very serious criminal offense,“ Pantović said.
The current indictment charges them with „participation in a group committing criminal acts and attempted hooliganism,“ while I.S. is accused of the criminal offense of „unauthorized possession of weapons.“
„Because of the pepper spray he possessed, which is punishable under the criminal code in Kosovo,“ Pantović said.
Pantović once again emphasizesd that the current situation for the accused is „much more favorable“ as they are now charged with less severe criminal offenses.
„This is a much less severe criminal offense than what they were initially charged with, where a minimum of ten years in prison was threatened for endangering the constitutional order of Kosovo,“ he stated.
The lawyers point out that they have not yet received the indictment, except for seeing the statement from the Special Prosecutor’s Office, and they will provide more detailed information about the case after receiving it.
„When the indictment is delivered to us, and when I read and analyze it, then I can say something in greater detail, but based on this statement from the prosecutor’s office, the situation is much more favorable for both of them than it was right after the arrests,“ Pantović said, noting that they expect to receive the indictment within a few days.
On the other hand, Miloš Delević highlights that more details will be revealed during the upcoming trial.
„The trial will take place within the next two weeks since a hearing must be scheduled within 15 days,“ Delević said.
What is stated in the indictment of the special prosecutor’s office
„The Special Prosecutor’s Office of the Republic of Kosovo has today filed an indictment with the Basic Court in Pristina – Special Department, against the two defendants with initials S.J. and I.S,“ the Kosovo Special Prosecutor’s Office announced.
In further statements, it was specified that S.J. and I.S. are accused of attempting to participate in a „crowd gathered to commit acts of hooliganism.“
„In this way, on May 30 of this year, at the Jarinje border crossing, they first crossed the border and, acting in concert, took necessary preparatory actions, objects intended to cause a general danger of damaging public and private property, as well as causing bodily harm to official persons,“ the prosecution stated.
Preuzimanje i objavljivanje tekstova sa portala KoSSev nije dozvoljeno bez navođenja izvora. Hvala na poštovanju etike novinarske profesije.
