Detention on remand extended for another Kosovo Serb
A detention on remand for Laza Lazic, a Serb from Strpce, southern Kosovo, who stands charged with “association against the constitutional order of Kosovo,” has been extended for two more months, his defense lawyer Dejan Vasic said Friday.
(kosovocompromisestuff) Sunday, March 02, 2014
The explanation of this decision does not state why guarantees offered by the Serbian government for Lazic’s release were rejected, said Vasic. Vasic said that he will appeal the decision to the Appellate Court in Pristina and expressed the hope that the court will take into account the guarantee the Serbian government offered in exchange for Lazic’s release pending trial. The Basic Prosecutor’s Office in Urosevac charged Lazic with association against the Constitution of Kosovo, pretending to be an authorized official and posing a threat to the free will of voters. Lazic was arrested for interfering with the second round of the local elections on December 1, 2013 and is currently in detention in Gnjilane. A judge of the Department for Serious Crimes in the Municipal Court in Gnjilane ordered one month of detention on remand for Lazic, and it was extended for two more months on January 4. On January 10, the Serbian government gave guarantees that Lazic and three other Serbs will be available to the EULEX mission throughout their trials in exchange for their release pending trial. Based on the guarantees, EULEX judge ordered release of Zarko Veselinovic on Friday. Despite the guarantees, detention on remand for Oliver Ivanovic, leader of the Citizens' Initiative 'Freedom, Democracy, Justice', has been extended for two more months on Thursday. Former Kosovska Mitrovica police chief Dragoljub Delibasic was arrested on February 4 and has been in detention since.
