LOCAL PRESS
Cooperation with RS high on list of priorities of government of Serbia (Beta/Politika)
Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic announced that cooperation with the Republika Srpska (RS) is high on the government’s list of priorities, as well as that there are many areas and concrete projects and plans in which this cooperation should intensify. At a press conference held after the joint session of the governments of the Republic of Serbia and Republika Srpska in Belgrade, Brnabic reminded that Serbia has special relations with Republika Srpska and that there are many things that connect them. She pointed out that this joint eighth session of the two governments has been prepared for quite a long time, because, as she said, this is not a protocol meeting, but the topics included concrete projects and proposals that can be worked out in the future. She reminded that the cooperation between Serbia and RS has been improved by the previous government and announced that she will try to continue this trend and that such sessions be held more frequently. Brnabic pointed out that after the session, four concrete documents were signed, and that many other areas in which there was cooperation were discussed, as well as that cross-border cooperation should be intensified, and in that sense, the use of the EU funds for this purpose. She said that the declaration on the survival of the Serbian nation is being drafted and that it will soon be presented, explaining that the Serbian and RS teams are working on this declaration, primarily from the cabinets of Serbian and RS presidents Aleksandar Vucic and Milorad Dodik, but also professors, academics, civil society organizations and others.
RS Prime Minister Zeljka Cvijanovic pointed out that this is a serious document and that many experts should participate in its development in order to make the part as high quality as possible. She expressed particular satisfaction with the adoption of the Action Plan for the development of Podrinje, the implementation of which will be supported by the government of Serbia.
NATO’s liaison in Belgrade hears about Serbia’s neutrality (Beta/B92)
Serbia is a militarily neutral country, President Aleksandar Vucic has told Cesare Marinelli, who heads NATO’s Military Liaison Office in Belgrade. And Serbia will not join any military alliance, Vucic said during their meeting on Monday, according to a statement issued by the President’s press office. “As an independent and sovereign state, Serbia will cooperate with various alliances and states, including maintaining good relations with NATO, with the goal of preserving peace, security and stability in the region,” the Serbian President said. Vucic and Marinelli “considered a number of concrete activities that should contribute to a better understanding between Serbia and NATO, as well as further concretization of cooperation in various fields,” the statement said. According to it, the interlocutors expressed their expectation that the upcoming visit of the Serbian president to the NATO headquarters, during which he will talk with Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and participate in the North Atlantic Council, will confirm the progress in political dialogue and practical cooperation between Serbia and NATO.
Djuric: I don’t believe Pristina is stalling ZSO on its own (Beta)
The Head of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija Marko Djuric says that the 1,675th day is passing by and Pristina has done nothing regarding the formation of the Community of Serb Municipalities. He told journalists in the Palace of Serbia that he doesn’t believe that Pristina is on its own stalling the formation of the Community of Serb Municipalities. “I haven’t seen one single move that Pristina has made, or hasn’t made, without having tacit or implicit consent of the international community,” he said. According to him, this stand is based on the six-year work and 236 meetings held with Pristina representatives. He says that the decision of the Pristina judiciary to repeat local elections in Partes is pressure on the Serb List. He also hopes this pressure will not have any effect and that the Serbs in Kosovo, who are now united, will not be “folklore for the political establishment in Pristina”. Djuric attended the round table on the internal dialogue on Kosovo and Metohija.
Round table on Kosovo and Metohija (RTS)
The second round table is being held in the Palace of Serbia within the internal dialogue on Kosovo and Metohija, this time organized by the Institute of Social Sciences and Humanities. The gathering is attended by Minister of Education, Science and Technological Development Mladen Sarcevic, the Head of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija Marko Djuric and general secretary of Serbian President Nikola Selakovic. Minister Sarcevic opened today’s round table and recalled that the dialogue had been started at the initiative of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, stressing that at issue is not a dialogue, but a serious and creative presentation of stands and proposals that should help in formulating a political platform and in creating a wide national consensus on issues of priority national and state significance. “The idea of today’s meeting is for scientists to present in short form results of scientific research and projects that refer to various aspects of the problem of Kosovo and Metohija, historical, archeological, ethnographic, social, demographic, sociological, political, philosophical and other. Simply, to join the dialogue freely by expressing opinions, stands, ideas and proposals,” said Sarcevic.
Director of the Institute of Modern History Momcilo Pavlovic opines that the solution lies in wider integrations, because history has demonstrated this. “Today the Serbs and Albanians agree only on one thing – that both want to join the EU. Thus, wider integration, simultaneous EU membership, and then dictating of EU standards on the state-of-affairs in this region,” said Pavlovic. He notes that the second solution is the creation of a community of free Balkan nations, i.e. Balkan states, which has also been known in history. According to him, the third solution is an international conference according to pre-established principles, along with participation of the great powers and interested parties, which would also take into consideration the Serbian-Albanian issues in the Balkans, respecting their interests.
REGIONAL PRESS
Dodik: RS supports Serbia’s proposal on demarcation (BHT1)
A joint session of the governments of Republika Srpska (RS) and Serbia was held in Belgrade on Friday. Representatives of the two governments signed four agreements in the field of aviation, infrastructure, quality of postal and telecommunications traffic and culture. A session of the Council for Cooperation between Serbia and the RS, whose members are RS President Milorad Dodik, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, RS Prime Minister Zeljka Cvijanovic and Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic, took place on the eve of the session of the Governments.
Dodik stressed on this occasion that the RS and Serbia have the same position when it comes to the issue of Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) -Serbia demarcation, noting that he does not expect Croats to have any objections. “Muslims can cause problems for some other reasons. I do not know how long that is going to last. In any case, I believe that it is possible to solve this by the end of the year,” Dodik stressed.
Serbian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ivica Dacic stated that there are no major problems in relations between Serbia and B&H. “Three percent of the border is disputable,” he added.
Brnabic emphasized that cooperation with the RS is on top of the list of Serbia’s priorities, while Cvijanovic expressed satisfaction with support that the RS receives from Serbia. Cvijanovic used the session as an opportunity to present B&H as dysfunctional and frivolous country, as well as to present the RS as the most functional part of B&H.
Chairman of B&H Council of Ministers (CoM) Denis Zvizdic assessed that this is only a part of rhetoric aimed to radicalize the political scene in B&H. According to Zvizdic, this has negative effects on possibilities for establishing high-quality cooperation in the region. RS Vice President Ramiz Salkic deems that Serbian authorities encourage RS officials’ behavior in which they treat the RS as a state. PDP leader Branislav Borenovic said that the RS opposition is in favor of a more intensive cooperation with Serbia but not if it is only for the sake of one’s personal political gain.
Dodik: Court of B&H informed me that I was being wiretapped by B&H security agencies (TV1)
RS President Milorad Dodik stated that he received a letter from the B&H Court, in which the Court informed him that he was being wiretapped by the B&H security agencies and that the warrant for such measures was issued on the basis of the Prosecutor’s Office of B&H’s request, for the purposes of an investigation they launched against him. Dodik added that he will request a full explanation about the wiretapping, as well as the investigation that was conducted against him. “They say they could not find the elements of criminal responsibility in any other way, so they asked for wiretapping to be set up. I know I am a man that is being wiretapped on many sides, but this has another dimension, that refers to the fact that the RS President is being wiretapped, even though that is somewhat funny from their point of view, it is unacceptable from a view of the system functioning,” said Dodik.
SDS representatives said that the whole issue represents a deception and that Dodik is trying to be a “national hero and the biggest victim.” They stressed it is impossible that the Court of B&H informed Dodik about alleged wiretapping if this activity is still underway.
B&H Minister of Security Dragan Mektic stated that no one is normally informed about being subject of a wiretapping measure, because that makes such measure meaningless.
SNSD Presidency Stasa Kosarac assessed that wiretapping is part of the Sarajevo’s special war against the RS institutions.
NDP leader Dragan Cavic said that he has a reason to believe that wherever the wiretapping equipment exists it is being used illegally, reminding that he experienced similar things during his term as the RS President.
Director of B&H Intelligence-Security Agency (OSA) Osman Mehmedagic noted that the law clearly stipulates rules for wiretapping.
Experts in the field of security conveyed a message that wiretapping should not be used for daily-political purposes, calling for respecting of the law.
OHR urged political parties to open constructive discussion, EU Delegation: Leaders should agree through dialogue and consensus (Dnevni list/ Oslobodjenje)
The EU Delegation to B&H and Office of the EU Special Representative stated that the issue of changes to the Law on Elections of B&H is an issue that B&H political parties and leaders should agree on through dialogue and consensus. “Any reached solution should lead to progress of the country on the road to the EU, moving it closer to the standards and values of the EU. B&H must implement final and binding decisions of the Constitutional Court of B&H, and ensure uninterrupted implementation of election results”, they stated. The OHR urged political parties in B&H to open constructive discussion on the issues that refer to the election process, in order to reach necessary compromise that would enable uninterrupted organizing of the 2018 elections and swift implementation of the election results.
Serbs still not constituent (Nezavisne)
Session of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton (HNC) Assembly held on Friday was interrupted again due to objections of the Croat Caucus to include to agenda an amendment to the HNC Constitution, which refers to constituent status of Serbs in that canton. HNC Assembly Deputy Speaker Vesna Saradzic (SDP) demanded that the agenda is amended by this amendment but then the Croat Caucus asked for a break. A half-way break turned into a 2-hour long break, after which Assembly Speaker Serif Spago (SDA) informed the delegates that the Collegium decided to cancel the session. Saradzic stressed she will not give up on this amendment. “We will use all democratic instruments we have at disposal to fix this civilizational disgrace”, she added. SDP’s delegate Aner Zuljevic noted that the Croat Caucus showed what they think about this issue. The Croat Caucus assessed this as election campaign of SDP and as an attempt to block work of the HNC Assembly. They expressed hope that their coalition partner – SDA will enable uninterrupted work of the Assembly in future. “The Croat Caucus has unanimous stance that it supports constituent status of Serb people, and that it will consistently insist on political agreement and consensus, being completely aware of responsibility in regard with this matter”, the Croat Caucus said. According to the daily, the Croat Caucus objected Saradzic’s demand to include this topic to agenda every time she requested it.
ICTY Trial Chamber rejects Mladic defense’s motions (RTRS)
The ICTY Trial Chamber rejected on Friday the request of RS Army Commander Ratko Mladic’s defense team, who asked for scheduling a hearing to discuss Mladic’s health condition as well as for launching proceedings against ICTY prison doctor Paulus Falke on charges of contempt of court. The explanation of this decision reads that assessment on Mladic’s deteriorated health condition is based on stance of a doctor who did not personally examine the accused individual. It was also stated that the defense failed to prove that Mladic’s health condition is poor enough to postpone reading of the first-instance verdict, which is scheduled for November 22.
Plenkovic government survives no confidence vote (HRT)
After a marathon 14 hour debate, the government, as well as one of the individual cabinet members, Demographics and Social Policy Minister Nada Murganic, survived a vote of no-confidence that was held in the early morning hours on Saturday.
76 votes were needed to topple the government, but the motion put forward by the opposition Social Democratic Party was supported by only 59 MPs, with 78 opposed. SDP leader Davor Bernardic, whose party spearheaded the motion, could not hide his disappointment over the outcome.
Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic, on the other hand, was obviously satisfied with the way things turned out. “This was the fourth failed initiative of this kind. Today both the government and Minister Murganic received validation from Parliament.”
According to the parliament’s standing orders, the Social Democratic Party’s 31 MPs, who launched this initiative, must now wait 6 months before sponsoring another motion like this.
Plenkovic to Grabar-Kitarovic: We’ve got problems, but Croatia isn’t in state of emergency (HRT)
While expressing no particular desire to comment on the criticism he has faced of late, the PM has clearly rebuffed the President’s claims about the country being in a ”state of emergency”.
Prime Minister Plenkovic added that following the long discussions that have taken place regarding his government, it has become clear that from the outset, the government has been focused on the Law on Extraordinary Administration, which protects the general interest, the Croatian economy, the stability of the financial system and of course, jobs. He estimated that Croatia was not in a state of emergency, as President Kolinda Grabar Kitarovic had previously said. “Croatia, of course, has difficulties and problems, but it also has a government which follows these problems and we’ve shown that on all the issues that have come up on the agenda, and we’ll continue on that way,”’ said Plenkovic, refusing to comment on the criticism he’s faced throughout the last few days. Despite her recent criticism of Andrej Plenkovic‘s government policies, Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic insists the two aren’t in conflict. She dismissed claims that she was in conflict with Plenkovic, but added that her goal was to warn the state of way things stand and announced that she had requested to convene a session of the National Security Council about the situation in Agrokor from him. “I also had the same approach to Prime Minister Milanovic’s and Oreskovic’s governments, which I also warned about the need to tackle certain problems,”’ she said in answer to the question of why she chose this timing for her fierce criticism of the Prime Minister. She stressed that she would like to be in more frequent contact with Prime Minister Plenkovic. “No, we’re not in conflict, my goal is to be very realistic, not optimistic, nor pessimistic, but to warn people of the state that exists in the country, because it’s my duty to citizens and it’s my constitutional obligation as well. I repeat, we’re talking about a constructive debate that should lead to finding a solution to the current situation that we’re in,”’ she added.
Political observers agree Lavrov’s confession shouldn’t be expected (Pobjeda)
Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov stated the proceedings against DF leaders Andrija Mandic and Milan Knezevic are planned actions aiming to destroy the opposition’s credibility in country and Montenegrins’ trust in Russia. He explains that “work results of Montenegrin investigation officers, i.e. prosecutors and persons who act on behalf of court in the enquiry are well known from previous trials and clearly show the absurdity and inconsistency of accusations”
Commenting on the statement of Russian chief of diplomacy, American political observer Daniel Serwer says “Mr Lavrov is not telling the truth”.
“Russia is involved in every single piece of this case as well as in other actions in order to prevent Montenegro from joining NATO“.
Political observer Dusan Janjic considers Lavrov’s reaction expected. He says Moscow won’t admit its direct involvement and he’s not surprised when Lavrov denies it. In his opinion, there are numerous indicators the coup was connected with Russia.
The Democratic Front states it’s important to notice the core of Lavrov’s statement, i.e. the accused Russian citizens Eduard Shishmakov and Vladimir Popov were never imprisoned or arrested in Serbia, Montenegro or in any other state.
DF also called on the special state prosecutor Milivoje Katnic to reveal the official minutes on arresting and hearing of Eduard Shishmakov and Vladimir Popov.
DF for protest, URA against interim government (Pobjeda)
Democratic Front (DF) believes that only protests can lead the opposition to an interim government. Social Democratic Party (SDP) leader Ranko Krivokapic sees interim government as only solution, whereas the URA Civic Movement says that it is not interested in such a government, writes Pobjeda. A few days ago, Krivokapic announced that the civic opposition might boycott the presidential election unless conditions for them to be fair and free were provided. He added that the saw forming an interim government as a desirable option.
“Those who talk about the transitional government are mere deceivers. It is well-known that only the protests can lead us to the interim government. However, Krivokapic and the cliques he leads have repeatedly announced to be against protests,” DF MP Jovan Vucurovic told Pobjeda.
According to him, certain opposition entities present various positions on the most important issues on a weekly basis, thus confusing the public and showing lack of agreement among them.
On the other hand, URA deputy leader Nedjeljko Rudovic says the movement is not interested in a transitional government. “Bearing in mind the experience of 2016 and the fact that DPS abused the Agreement on Free and Fair Elections, violated the agreement after two months and showed that it is not possible to make any agreement with them, URA is not interested in a transitional government according to last year’s model,” Rudovic told Pobjeda. Commenting on the opposition’s attitude towards the presidential election, Vucurovic says that DF has its own stable policy on all issues. “Back in 2011, 2012 and 2013, we were the first in the opposition to promote the idea of a single opposition candidate in the presidential election, because this is the best and most effective solution to win… And at this point, DF has an identical position and is ready to support a non-party candidate who could beat the DPS candidate in the 2018 presidential election,” Vucurovic said. When it comes to the boycott of the presidential elections, mentioned by Krivokapic, Rudovic states that all options are on the table. “I note that a deal of the entire opposition is needed for the boycott to be effective,” Rudovic said and added that URA was ready to discuss all options.
Macedonia and Albania on the right path to the EU, concludes Hahn (Meta)
The Western Balkans is pushing for the opening of the European Union’s door, and it is possible, in spring for Brussels to give the green light to starting accession negotiations with Macedonia and Albania. The EU Commissioner for Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement Commissioner, Johannes Hahn met with journalists from the region this week and confirmed that Macedonia and Albania are on the right path to the EU. The President of the European President, Jean-Claude Juncker said this week that the EU could welcome new members in 2025, but EU Commissioner Hahn says there are no guarantees that a country will become a member of the Union in 2025. He believes that the setting of a specific deadline may be dangerous for countries next to the Western Balkans who will not reach the deadline, so they will remain waiting and returning. In February, the European Commission is to present a strategy for the Western Balkans to further strengthen the European perspective and the necessary reforms in the region.
Because Macedonia and Albania are on the right path, the countries are expected to receive a positive assessment, which should provide the basis for EU member states to pave the way to start accession negotiations. Hahn, stated the next two years will be good for enlargement.
“The European Commission sees new opportunities in the coming years to bring the Western Balkans closer to the EU”, said Hahn, adding that enthusiasm could bring disorder and that countries should commit themselves to further reforms. The European Commissioner says that the chances of Serbia, Montenegro, Macedonia, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo are better than a year and a half ago, but pointed out that Balkan countries should not just wait because in the process of getting closer to the EU means implementation of reforms.
However, Hahn reiterates that Brussels has not decided which countries will be the first to join the EU and that in May next year, a major conference on the topic of EU enlargement with the Western Balkans could be held in Sofia. “It will take several years to overcome the skeptical views on EU enlargement that dominate some of the Western countries,” said Hahn.
European integration requires concrete results in fight against organized crime (ATA)
Albania’s EU integration requires concrete results in the fight against organized crime. The DP head Lulzim Basha met on Friday with EU Commissioner Johannes Hahn. During the meeting the DP head reiterated the determination of DP in the fight against organized crime with governmental links as the only way to push ahead with European integration. Basha and Hahn shared the same view that European integration of Albania should be based on merit and the country needs to provide firm proof of unbiased enforcement of justice reform as well as achieve concrete results in the fight against corruption and organized crime, which means there will be no more untouchables in Albania.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA SOURCES
Volker and Surkov to meet in Belgrade (TASS/Wall Street Journal, 13 November 2017)
US and Russian envoys for the Ukrainian crisis are supposed to meet in Belgrade in order to examine the deployment of UN peacekeeping forces in the eastern part of Ukraine in an effort to trigger the stalled peace process agreed in Minsk, and the list of disputable issues is long, including helmets and weapons. Ukraine has coordinated with the U.S. the main parameters of a joint draft resolution of the UN Security Council on the deployment of peacekeepers in Donbas, Foreign Minister Pavel Klimkin said on Friday night speaking on Inter television channel. “I spoke to the U.S. special envoy to Ukraine Kurt Volker a few hours ago and we coordinated the main parameters of our position,” Klimkin said. “We actually have a text of the resolution, our draft. I’m saying ‘our’ because it’s the U.S., Germany, France, and we’re also working with the UK along the lines of a very clear logic. He repeated the Kiev government’s claim that there should be no Russians in the peacekeeping contingent and that the peacekeepers should take control of the Ukrainian-Russian border.
The Wall Street Journal said on Thursday Washington was planning to hand to Russia a scheme for deployment of a 20,000-strong international peacekeeping contingent in the war-torn eastern Ukraine soon. It also said U.S. and other Western diplomats believed this mission might operate under the umbrella of the OSCE rather than the UN.
Serbia Declares Mladic Aides’ Indictment a State Secret (BIRN, Marija Ristic, Filip Rudic, 13 November 2017)
Serbia’s prosecution told BIRN that the indictment of 11 people who allegedly helped Bosnian Serb Army commander Ratko Mladic hide in Belgrade while he was a fugitive has been declared a state secret.
The Serbian public prosecutor’s office has rejected a request to provide BIRN with the indictment against 11 people who were tried for helping former Bosnian Serb military chief Ratko Mladic to hide while he was on the run from an international arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia. The prosecutor’s office said that the indictment had been classified as confidential because releasing it could damage Serbia’s reputation internationally. “The First Basic Public Prosecution has the requested information which is labelled a state secret, as in the abovementioned case there is great danger to society due to criminal actions that may have as a consequence endangered the international reputation and status of the Republic of Serbia,” it said in a written response to BIRN’s request. After Mladic’s arrest in 2011, many former officials, including former President Boris Tadic, claimed that the former Bosnian Serb general had the active support of senior Serbian military and state security staff who often leaked information to him and his aides to help him dodge arrest. No charges have been raised in connection with these allegations. BIRN has previously reported that the Serbian army and police systematically obstruct public access to information that could expose their officers’ involvement in wrongdoing during the 1990s wars. According to Serbian law, an indictment is a public document, but in some cases prosecutors redact some information in order to protect privacy. However, to BIRN’s knowledge, no indictments have ever been declared a state secret until now. The director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Human Rights, Milan Antonijevic, also said he could not recall any such incident. “They can increase the secrecy level of certain parts of the document but… the document in its entirety cannot be declared a secret,” Antonijevic told BIRN. Lawyer Marina Kljaic, who follows war crime trials for the Belgrade-based Humanitarian Law Centre, also said she had never heard of such a case. Kljaic said that once an indictment is confirmed, there is no legal basis in the criminal procedure code for it to be declared a state secret. The defendants in the trial, Marko Lugonja, Stanko Ristic, Ljiljana Vaskovic, Borislav Ivanovic, Predrag Ristic, Sasa Badnjar, Ratko Vucetic, Tatjana Janjusevic Vaskovic, Bojan Vaskovic and Blagoja Govedarica, were charged with hiding Mladic in an attempt to prevent his extradition to the UN court in The Hague. In August this year, the Serbian Appeals Court acquitted all of them except Lugonja, who admitted his guilt and was sentenced to six months in prison. Mladic – whose trial verdict is due to be pronounced in The Hague on November 22 – was on the run for 16 years, evading charges of genocide and war crimes in Bosnia and Herzegovina. He was finally arrested in 2011 while hiding at a relative’s house in the village of Lazarevo in Serbia. He fled Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1996 and it is believed he spent most of his time as a fugitive at various locations in Serbia. From 1996 to 2003, when Serbian authorities adopted a law on cooperation with the Hague Tribunal, Mladic had the support of Yugoslav Army personnel and a special unit of mainly Bosnian Serb army officers to assist him. At that time, Mladic mostly lived in his apartment in Belgrade and was often seen in public. At the end of 2002, when the UN court intensified its cooperation with the Serbian authorities, Mladic turned for help to his closest associates, including former Bosnian Serb intelligence chief Zdravko Tolimir, who was also wanted by the Hague Tribunal for genocide in Srebrenics. Once Tolimir was arrested, Mladic relied on his family to help him evade capture. For most of that time, Mladic lived in various apartments in and around Belgrade.
Kumanovo’s case aggravates relations between Kosovo and FYROM (IBNA, 13 November 2017)
The decision that was taken by Haradinaj’s government to allocate 10 thousand euros to cover the expenses of the families of Kosovo citizens who have been condemned and remained killed in FYROM in the case known as “Kumanovo”, has sparked many reactions not only in Pristina, but also in Skopje.
FYROM has expressed its concern for Haradinaj’s decision through the Foreign Minister, Nikola Dimitrov during a meeting that the latter had in Skopje with the Minister of Integration of Kosovo, Dhurata Hoxha. “The decision of the government of Kosovo to allocate 10 thousand euros to the families of the people who were sentenced is not in the spirit of European future of the region as far as the rule of law Is concerned”, Dimitrov said. Meanwhile, analysts have reacted about this decision. Flaka Surroi, publisher of “Koha Ditore” newspaper, has reacted by saying that the allocation of this money for the families of the people who were sentenced is irrational. “What happened in Kumanovo was tragic. 18 people died. An entire quarter was destroyed. We didn’t understand what armed Kosovars were doing in Kumanovo. To say that these people went to Macedonia to fight for their ideals is a violation of the law which prohibits citizens of this country to join conflicts abroad, voted by the Parliament of Kosovo in April 2015 a month before the events in Kumanovo. If the government has information which the public doesn’t, it should have made them public. Otherwise, it sets up a precedent according to which, each person who is sentenced by a court of first instance, would be entitled to be compensated by the state”, Surroi said.
