Office for Kosovo calls for Ivanovic's release
The Serbian government Office for Kosovo voiced a request for leader of the Citizens Initiative 'Freedom, Democracy, Justice' Oliver Ivanovic from northern Kosovo to be immediately released from detention since the indictment against him has not been raised although six months have passed since his arrest.
(kosovocompromisestuff)
Monday, July 28, 2014
In the release, the Office for KiM said that at this sensitive and complex moment, when the Serbian government and representatives of the Serb community in KiM are investing maximum efforts to establish trust, unity, peace and tolerance in the province, this legal precedent and the six-month detention without official indictment are not helping in the efforts to reduce tensions.On the contrary, fear and distrust among Kiosovo Serbs in relation to local and international law and justice is being further deepened, and the trust in the institutions and objectivity of the judiciary is being crumbled, which is detrimental to the rule of law in KiM and puts additional distance between us and the desired goals, the release states.The Office for KiM is disappointed by the fact that the Serbian government guarantees are being ignored according to which Ivanovic would be available to the court at all times in case he is released pending trial.
Recalling the guarantees and the failure on the part of the prosecutor to gather evidence against Ivanovic even though six months have passed since his arrest, the Office for Kosovo called for the conclusion of the trial and immediate release of Ivanovic from prison.This will be a step to show that human rights are respected in Kosovo and that nobody in the province should fear secret lists or indictments, the release states.