Civic Initiative SDP appealed on Serbian government to extend more firmly guarantees for the release of Olvier Ivanovic from detention, which lasts for almost seven months now.
In Ivanovic’s absence CI SDP is headed by his deputy Ksenija Bozovic who explained that new, more firmly guarantees of the Serbian government would mean a lot in situation when indictment is raised, and when his latest detention order is about to expire.
She explained that public prosecutor has requested extension of Ivanovic’s detention until the end of the court trial and that from “that reason authorities in Belgrade should, in next couple days, send a clear message, the one which could not be ignored either by EULEX or by the court in Kosovska Mitrovica”.
Few days ago Kosovo Special Prosecutor’s Office has raised an indictment against Ivanovic under charges for committing a war crime in 1999 in Kosovska Mitrovica and events during unrests in February 2000 in that town when 10 Albanians were killed.
According to Bozovic, prosecutor’s argument with regard to his detention, that he could influence witnesses is completely senseless, and that Serbian government guarantees are of crucial importance. She explained that Serbian guarantees would make even more senseless the fear of the prosecutor that leader of the CI SDP would not be available to judiciary in case if he is released pending trial and added that the sole idea about his escape is senseless, because he aims to prove his innocence at the trial and remove the stain from his name.
“Everything that’s being done to Oliver Ivanovic, such as violation of his basic human rights, setting in place double standards by EULEX and the Prosecutor’s Office when it comes to his case, it all comes as a consequence of their reluctance to admit that he was arrested from pure political reasons. In the end, if it wasn’t about our everyday media pressure, it is a big question whether the indictment would be raised at all,” said Bozovic.
First court hearing where Ivanovic will be asked to enter a plea is set to take place on August 26.
