Ivanovic’s brother: Family knows what media report (N1)
Milorad Ivanovic, the brother of the assassinated Kosovo Serb leader Oliver Ivanovic, told N1 that his family was left alone and knew only what media reported and the officials were saying. He added the life without information was difficult.
Oliver Ivanovic, the leader of the Civil Initiative SDP, a party which does not enjoy Belgrade's support, was gunned down on January 16 last year outside his organisation's headquarters.
He took part in local elections for the mayor of the northern part of the divided Mitrovica town mostly populated by the Serbs, two months before the assassination. His opponent was from the Serb List which is supported by Belgrade.
During the campaign, Ivanovic was demonised and branded a traitor to Serb interests in Kosovo by Belgrade and the Serb List. He lost the election.
After his death, official Serbia remembered him as a great Kosovo Serb leader; many ruling politicians attended his funeral in Belgrade and a fight over who would investigate the murder and whose side was to blame had started between Pristina and Belgrade immediately.
The justice ministries and other officials accuse each other of failing to cooperate, and the only result in almost a year is that nothing concrete had been discovered.
Kosovo police have arrested three local Serbs suspecting them of the murder. They are still in custody.
Speaking to N1, Oliver’s brother said “it was a serious thing, considering how Oliver’s life was taken.”
“A part of us was taken as well. We expect to learn who the perpetrators are, who ordered it. Besides the fact that it was a political murder, which speaks about the motive, we don’t know if there are some other indications,” Ivanovic said but did not go into the details.
He added the family was “left on its own to analyse and listen to every word.” Ivanovic said there were many conflicting statements which could be attributed to “political conflicts.”
“We don’t belong to any side, nor are we so naive to allow anyone to take advantage of us,” he said, adding the family and Oliver’s friends would persist on their demands. “Our lives changed after the murder, we cannot simply let it go,” Ivanovic said.
He added the family and friends “will speak on a daily basis,” and added their main concern was for the perpetrators and those who ordered the assassination to be found.
Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vucic said last week he never excluded a possibility that some Serbs took part in the murder, but maintained the state had nothing to do with it.
In the meantime, Oliver’s wife Milena said she was conducting her investigation and had some ideas about who participated in the killing, but that it was too early to point at anyone.