Kosovo office chief condemns arrest at checkpoint
Aleksandar Vulin has strongly condemned the arrest of a worker of the Kosovska Mitrovica District on Sunday at the administrative crossing Jarinje.
(KosovoCompromiseStuff) Monday, October 29, 2012
The director of the Office of Kosovo and Metohija called on the EU mission in Kosovo, EULEX, to respect the limits of its mandate.
The man, Ivan Radulovic, was on Monday released from custody.
Vulin told earlier in the day that this was the third arrest at Jarinje in the last 20 days, which represented "the continuation of planned intimidation campaign and an attempt to create a border at the administrative line".
He noted that the international community needs to understand that, unless it acts status neutrally, the atmosphere will be even more difficult, tensions between the Serbs will grow, and any implementation of agreements will be exacerbated.
At the time of his arrest, Ivan Radulović was driving District Chief Radenko Nedeljković, who confirmed that his driver was arrested by EULEX police.
Nedeljkovic stated that the Kosovo police, KPS, took Radulović to the nearby town of Leposavic, and then to the northern part of Kosovska Mitrovica, where he was detained on suspicion of "stealing a motor vehicle in 2000".
Representatives of Serb municipalities in northern Kosovo believe the arrest is political in nature, and that its purpose was to intimidate the remaining Serbs in the province.
