Appeal denied, Ivanovic remains in prison
The Pristina Court of Appeals denied the appeal filed by leader of the Citizens Initiative 'Freedom, Democracy, Justice' (GI SDP) Oliver Ivanovic concerning the decision on detention extension, GI SDP released on Thursday.
(kosovocompromisestuff) Sunday, July 20, 2014
The release states that Ivanovic's attorney filed the appeal on June 27 and the Appellate Court denied it three weeks later although in keeping with the law, it ought to have responded within 48 hours from the submission since the measure in question is an extreme one and imposes limitations on the freedom of the defendant.In addition to that, the Kosovo Supreme Court has not resolved the request for protection of legality in relation to the decision to place Ivanovic in detention which his legal team filed back on May 15.
“This shows that Kosovo courts are not interested in the rights of the defendant, nor do they want to know the contents of the appeal because they already have a decision,” GI SDP said.“Oliver Ivanovic is even denied the right for his appeal concerning detention extension to be resolved within the mandatory legal deadline, while ethnic Albanians, former member of the Drenica Group (former paramilitary unit of the Kosovo Liberation Army), have the right to spend their detention in hospitals instead of prisons although they are not ill,” the party headed by the Serb leader from northern Kosovo-Metohija said in the release.GI SDP said that members of the Drenica Group who have been charged with war crimes committed against civilians in the Likovac prison camp in Drenica were allowed to leave the hospital grounds, roam wherever they like and do whatever they want, and even escape and then blackmail the court, and the authorities readily met all their requests and kept it secret for three days.GI SDP also expressed dissatisfaction and disappointment with the way in which the criminal proceedings against its leader Oliver Ivanovic are being conducted.The investigation against Ivanovic is conducted on charges of crimes committed 15 years ago although during the whole period, Ivanovic was available to the Kosovo justice system and evidence in the case is being gathered now and the conclusion of the investigation is being delayed endlessly while Ivanovic is being kept in detention for six months now, without any evidence to support his involvement in the crimes, the release states.Ivanovic was arrested on January 27 on suspicion that he participated in several crimes committed in 1999 and 2000, including an aggravated murder.The Serbian government issued guarantees on Thursday that in case of Ivanovic's is release from detention pending trial, the defendant will at all times be available to the court.
“This shows that Kosovo courts are not interested in the rights of the defendant, nor do they want to know the contents of the appeal because they already have a decision,” GI SDP said.“Oliver Ivanovic is even denied the right for his appeal concerning detention extension to be resolved within the mandatory legal deadline, while ethnic Albanians, former member of the Drenica Group (former paramilitary unit of the Kosovo Liberation Army), have the right to spend their detention in hospitals instead of prisons although they are not ill,” the party headed by the Serb leader from northern Kosovo-Metohija said in the release.GI SDP said that members of the Drenica Group who have been charged with war crimes committed against civilians in the Likovac prison camp in Drenica were allowed to leave the hospital grounds, roam wherever they like and do whatever they want, and even escape and then blackmail the court, and the authorities readily met all their requests and kept it secret for three days.GI SDP also expressed dissatisfaction and disappointment with the way in which the criminal proceedings against its leader Oliver Ivanovic are being conducted.The investigation against Ivanovic is conducted on charges of crimes committed 15 years ago although during the whole period, Ivanovic was available to the Kosovo justice system and evidence in the case is being gathered now and the conclusion of the investigation is being delayed endlessly while Ivanovic is being kept in detention for six months now, without any evidence to support his involvement in the crimes, the release states.Ivanovic was arrested on January 27 on suspicion that he participated in several crimes committed in 1999 and 2000, including an aggravated murder.The Serbian government issued guarantees on Thursday that in case of Ivanovic's is release from detention pending trial, the defendant will at all times be available to the court.
