LOCAL PRESS

 

Serbia appreciates China’s position not to recognize unilaterally proclaimed independence of Kosovo (RTS)

Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic received the letters of credentials from the new Chinese Ambassador in Belgrade Li Manchang. “Serbia is presently going through a very delicate period in its development as we are about to adopt important and complex decisions, and I am confident that we will have China’s support and understanding,” Nikolic said at the credentials ceremony at the Palace of Serbia. The Serbian President said that bilateral relations between Serbia and China were characterized by traditional friendship and strategic partnership, and also mutual trust and sincere support for efforts to deal with the most important issues facing the countries. Nikolic said that Serbia highly appreciated China’s principled position not to recognize the unilaterally proclaimed independence of Kosovo, and it fully supported the One-China policy. The Chinese Ambassador said that the two countries were bound together by deep, traditional friendship that stood test of time and was only becoming stronger. “Our two countries support each other on issues of key importance and great interest to the other side and work to deepen mutual political trust. China pays great attention to its strategic partnership with Serbia, founded on mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit, and stands ready to raise bilateral relations to a new, higher level,” the Chinese Ambassador said in fluent Serbian.
Williamson’s report very important for Serbia (RTS/Beta)

Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic has stated that the publication of the report of the Chief Prosecutor of the Special Investigation Team for investigating human organ trafficking during the war in Kosovo and Metohija Clint Williamson will be of enormous importance for Serbia. Vucic pointed out during the meeting with Williamson in Belgrade that the publication of the report would confirm the objectivity of the institutions of the EU and international community in the investigation of the committed crimes during the war in Kosovo and Metohija in 1999, but also in the region of former Yugoslavia, the government announced. Williamson thanked the Serbian judicial bodies for the very good and efficient cooperation during the investigative procedure. Vucic thanked the prosecutor for “perseverance” in shedding light on the perpetrated crimes. “We expected from the beginning an honest and objective approach, which prosecutor Williamson confirmed in the best way with his work and thus justified his reputation as an advocate for the respect of law,” stressed Vucic.

 

Vukcevic: Serbia has evidence for Yellow House (Tanjug)

Serbian War Crimes Prosecutor Vladimir Vukcevic has stated that the investigation into trafficking of human organs of the abducted Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija in 1999 and the “Yellow House” case has reached the end, and now the decision should be made whether to raise indictments or not, and he pointed that the evidence that Serbia possesses indicate the existence of the war crimes. “We have defined the presence of the felony of war crime but have not reached the perpetrators,” Vukcevic emphasized. He said that the war crime prosecution had obtained the information about more than 300 people of the non-Albanian nationality having gone missing. Vukcevic has stated that he expects the Chief Prosecutor Clint Williamson, who is visiting Belgrade today, to publish the results of the investigation over the following days.

 

Drecun: Williamson’s report might be astonishing, but not surprising (Radio Serbia, by Mladen Bijelic)

If the report of Clint Williamson, Chief Prosecutor of the Special Team for investigating human organ trafficking during the war in Kosovo and Metohija in 1999, turns out to be the fruit of a thorough and encompassing investigation that did not exempt anyone, it could be astonishing, but not surprising, the Chairman of the parliamentary Committee for Kos and Metohija Milovan Drecun told Radio Serbia. While refraining from speculation on the contents of Williamson’s report, Drecun believes that the prosecutor’s yesterday’s visit to Pristina and today’s to Belgrade mean the document is nearing completion and getting the final touches before being published. “At this moment the consultations with Belgrade and Pristina are required, because after the report is published it should ensure the good political climate for continuation of the process,” Drecun explains. He underlines that the report ought to be objective and not treat anyone as untouchable or exception, since the report of Dick Marty, which served as the starting point, was so terrifying that it was impossible to ignore. What Marty had written in his document initiated the chain of events, because nobody was able any more to turn their heads from the heinous crimes and deeds for which the suspicion included even Hashim Thaqi and other officials in Kosovo, he says. “I now expect that the process commenced by Dick Marty be completed by an unbiased report, and if it turns out to be such that will certainly be shocking, but not surprising,” Drecun emphasized, adding that in the continuation a lot will depend on whether the investigative team would be able to resist the political pressures. And that kind of pressure is exerted far from the public eye, he said.

 

REGIONAL PRESS

 

Daviddi: Of 809 million Euros, 40 percent are grants and 60 percent favorable loans (Fena)

Deputy Head of the EU Delegation in B&H Renzo Daviddi presented the estimate that, out of 809 million Euros collected at the donors’ conference, 40 percent refers to grants (nonreturnable funds), and 60 percent of funds refers to affordable loans. “I cannot give the exact ratio, but during the donors’ conference I recorded the pledges that were given by donors and international financial institutions, and according to these notes the assets are divided 40 to 60 percent,” said Daviddi. Representatives from more than 60 countries and 23 international organizations as well as representatives of civil society and the private sector have pledged 809.2 million Euros for B&H. Daviddi said that the exact figures will be available to the public next week, but added that part of the funds is already available and that around 42 million Euros for the activities of cross-border cooperation should be available very soon. “These funds are envisaged for the reconstruction of infrastructure (schools, hospitals and other public institutions), care of the elderly and people with disabilities who are placed in collective centers and for the prevention of flooding in the future and to small and medium enterprises,” explained Daviddi. When it comes to the way resource will be allocated he emphasized that part of the funds will be distributed among the various levels of government (it refers to funds from international financial institutions), funds provided by the EU will be implemented through a project basis, and there are also funds which will be provided by international institutions including the UN.

 

FB&H House of Peoples passes Law on Internal Affairs (Fena)

Having completed a special session of the House of Peoples of the parliament of the Federation of B&H in Sarajevo, 23^rdsession of the House continued at which the deputies adopted the Law on Internal Affairs of the FB&H for which the Interior Minister Predrag Kurtes said it meets the very demanding international standards and guarantees full and financial independence of the FB&H Police Administration, without the influence of politics. “The law provides stronger oversight to the parliament over the work of the FB&H Ministry of Internal Affairs and specifies the process of appointment and dismissal of the Director of the FB&H Police, protecting the position of the director against illegal dismissal,” says Kurtes. The proposal of the text was preceded by a public debate and more than 90 percent of initiatives were incorporated into the law, including those from the Office of the High Representative and HR Valentin Inzko urged to speed up the procedure of the adoption of this law. “This institutional independence allows more efficient and more professional police work and serves as a useful obstacle against inappropriate political influence on the work of the police,” Inzko said in a letter to the Collegium of the House of Representatives. Financial independence ensures that the provision of funds for operations within the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Interior comes from the FB&H budget. Kurtes stressed that the solutions offered by this regulation should be a model for the cantonal laws on internal affairs. The text of the Draft Law on Internal Affairs of FB&H has been fully harmonized with the OHR and EU Special Representative.

 

SNS sends note to B&H CIK, challenging Ivanic’s candidacy (Srna)

The SNS party branch in the Republika Srpska (RS) vice-president Sasa Milovanovic said that his party and its legal team sent an official note to the B&H Central Electoral Commission (CIK) challenging the nomination of PDP leader Mladen Ivanic for the Serb member of the B&H Presidency by the Alliance for Change. Milovanovic expressed the hope that the CIK will react to their note and that Ivanic’s nomination will be challenged. “We are still working on collecting evidence for a potential lawsuit, but we will wait to see what the CIK will say,” Milovanovic told reporters in Banja Luka. He reiterated that it is obvious that the signature of SNS leader Hadzi-Jovan Mitrovic was abused and that the SNS was tricked by its partners, adding and that the SNS will do everything to see that Ivanic’s candidacy is challenged. The leader of the SNS Laktasi Zeljko Perencevic said that there is an “emergency situation” in Laktasi municipality because of the resignation of the Head of the Municipality Milovan Topolovic and his deputy Ognjen Vulin. He called on Topolovic to present to CIK his resignation as stipulated by the Election Law in order to enable the election of a new Head of Municipality. “The SNS wants elections as soon as possible, wants extraordinary elections for Head of Municipality before the general elections,” Perencevic said, adding that not a single session of the Municipal Assembly has been held for the past three months.

 

Covic: No theoretical possibility for elections in Mostar (Nezavisne novine)

The HDZ B&H leader Dragan Covic said that there are no prospects for the local elections in Mostar to be held together with the B&H general elections in October. Following the session of the HDZ B&H Presidency in Mostar, Covic told journalists that he also presented this stand to international community representatives. Covic explained that the B&H Election law, FB&H Constitution should be amended by 12 August, for which there is no theoretical possibility. He said that many problems had been discussed at the session, and that they especially stressed the issue of the attempt of centralization of competencies from cantons to entities, especially in the field of education, healthcare, spatial planning, economy and security. “We took a clear position that we will use all constitutional competencies that we have both at the level of cantons and B&H in order to prevent anyone from violating constitutional relations,” said Covic. “We have noticed that the constitution has been violated in every field, and I would say, the legislature has been abused, because this is simply a trend and attempt for someone to make from B&H two levels of authority already today,” said Covic.

 

INTERNATIONAL PRESS

 

Kosovo expects findings of organ stealing investigation next week (Reuters, by Fatos Bytyci, 21 July 2014)
An EU-appointed task force will release its findings next week after an investigation into allegations that Kosovo Albanian guerrillas took body organs from Serb captives during the 1998-99 war, Kosovo's justice ministry said on Monday.
Its conclusions could cause waves in Kosovo, where many in power have roots in the guerrilla Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) that took up arms against Serbian security forces in the late 1990s and eventually won military support from NATO.
The investigation's head, U.S. prosecutor John Clint Williamson, was in Kosovo on Monday and met the president and justice minister.
The ministry said he would issue his findings in a report "during the next week". A government source said Williamson had not discussed its content.
The EU and Kosovo are working on the creation of an ad hoc tribunal, likely to be based in the Netherlands, to try potential suspects.
The investigation was launched after a 2011 report by Council of Europe rapporteur Dick Marty which accused senior KLA commanders of involvement in the smuggling of Serb prisoners into northern Albania and the removal of their organs for sale.
Prime Minister Hashim Thaci, himself a former KLA leader named in Marty's report, has dismissed the accusations as an attempt to tarnish the Kosovo Albanian fight for independence from the government of late Serbian strongman Slobodan Milosevic.
"Kosovo is determined to face these accusations in a credible way and will fulfill its obligations with responsibility and dignity in order to close this chapter, strengthening Kosovo's position in the world," President Atifete Jahjaga was quoted as telling Williamson in a statement.
Serbia's counter-insurgency campaign of 1998 and 1999 eventually drew in NATO, which bombed for 78 days to drive out Serbian forces behind the killings of Kosovo Albanian civilians. Around 10,000 Albanians and just over 2,000 Serbs are believed to have been killed during and immediately after the war.
Kosovo declared independence in 2008 but the EU still plays a guiding role in policing and justice, particularly cases of war crimes.
Efforts to investigate alleged war crimes committed by the guerrillas have run up against widespread intimidation in a small country where clan loyalties run deep and former KLA rebels are revered as heroes.
EC Recommends To Serbia To Suspend Work on South Stream Pipeline (novinite.com, 21 July 2014)

The EC has recommended to Serbia to suspend construction of the South Stream Pipeline until it is fully in line with European law, reports BTA quoting the Serbian daily Politika.

“The EC is not against the South Stream project in principle, as it is important to diversify the natural gas deliveries in the Western Balkans,” said the newspaper. “South Stream is a new way of delivery, but not a new source. The EC is not against the pipeline, but against the manner the project is carried out.”

According to the EC, the South Stream pipeline, just like any other large infrastructure project in Europe, must have strict and clear legal framework, which in this case is still lacking.

“The EC position on South Stream in Serbia is no exception,” said the EC statement, quoted by Politika. “Furthermore, not a single intergovernmental agreement on South Stream, signed by Russia, complies with EU law. Our position is uniform both for EU member states and for third countries, such as Serbia. It is in the best longterm interest of Serbia, as a candidate EU member, to comply with EU law with regard the South Stream pipeline.”

 

How Albanian Discontent Fuelled Macedonia’s Ethnic Protests (BIRN, by Sinisa Jakov Marusic, 22 July 2014)

Recent protests in Macedonia sparked by the terrorism convictions of six ethnic Albanians were caused by deep mistrust in the country’s judiciary, seasoned political observer Ismet Ramadani tells BIRN.

Ismet Ramadani, a former Macedonian MP and now head of an NGO called the Euro-Atlantic Council of Macedonia, was one of the public figures who openly supported this month’s protests against the verdict which saw the six Albanians convicted of terrorism for killing five ethnic Macedonians in what has become known as the ‘Monster’ case.
On July 4, running battles erupted in the capital as several thousand ethnic Albanian protesters tried to storm Skopje criminal court, only to be forced back by riot police using water cannon, tear gas and stun grenades.
Ramadani believes that government propaganda was partly responsible because it falsely portrayed Albanians, who make up a quarter of the country’s population, as radical Islamists.
BIRN: You are one of the public figures who openly supported the protests against the verdicts in the ‘Monster’ trial. What were your reasons?
Ramadani: We naturally agreed with the notion that for quite a long time, the Albanian community in Macedonia has not believed in state institutions, or in this particular case, in the judiciary. In this last case, we had a huge process for the Macedonian judiciary where we had a sinister murder of five young people without some declared reason. This was a typical act of terrorism. [But] doubt becomes even greater because the qualification of this murder as a terrorist act inspired by radical Islam does not correspond with Albanian traditions and mentality. We are now speculating, but usually people who commit these acts of terrorism manifest their beliefs in the courtroom as well. They shout Islamist slogans and admit their acts. In this case we saw no such thing and the people who got convicted do not make such an impression from which you could say ‘they did it’.
The conduct of the prosecution, the qualification of the Police Minister Gordana Jankulovska that came at the very beginning [of the trial], that the murderers were Islamic radicals, all these moments caused a revolt, first among the families of the convicted and later among the wider population.
BIRN: We heard inflammatory rhetoric from protesters, calls for a ‘Greater Albania’, the burning of the Macedonian flag in Pristina, the waving of Arabic texts and the flags of Saudi Arabia in Skopje, and demands for radical Islam. How is this favourable for the cause?

Ramadani: It is true that at the first protests there was a tendency towards provocation. As if someone wanted to portray Albanians as radical Islamists who do not care about the law and an independent judiciary. There is propaganda that wants to label Albanians as radicals. I do not deny that there are individuals or groups who are already swimming in such radical waters, but to say that this ideology is predominant in the Islam practiced by Albanians is sheer propaganda with bad intent. It is well known that Albanians are taken as an example for inter-religious tolerance because they have the three main religions [Catholic Christian, Islam and Orthodox Christian] within their own ranks. The majority of Albanians practice Islam but they fanatically defend their tradition of modest Islam.
BIRN: Do the protests have the potential for growing into a wider civil expression of discontent against the ruling elites and their inability to ensure progress, which will unite rather than divide people in the country along ethnic and religious lines? In the past Macedonians on many occasions expressed similar mistrust to the institutions.
Ramadani: I have information that a large part of the ethnic Macedonian opposition is supportive of these protests. At the [third] protest in Skopje [on July 11] I saw banners written in Macedonian language as well, which referred to controversial cases in which both Macedonians and Albanians were victims of murders. This tells us that the protests are slowly getting elements that have a wider civic flavour.
BIRN: Is someone profiting by painting the case and the protests as inter-ethnic and inter-religious?
Ramadani: In Macedonia, the sphere of inter-ethnic, inter-religious relations is fragile. The same goes for democratic institutions, the political dialogue between the opposition and government. When you have organised crime, a weak economy, poverty, problems with media freedom, all of this creates grounds for someone to create instability. Those who have good intentions are using peaceful protests to tell to the key people in the country that there is discontent and a revolt among the citizens and to push them towards change in their policies. But in situations like this, there are also those who have extreme thoughts of creating a mess in the country and who also wish to profit, politically, ideologically and in the area of business.
BIRN: Apart from being angry at the judiciary and the Macedonian politicians, protesters expressed a lot of anger against the junior, ethnic Albanian party in the ruling coalition, the Democratic Union for Integration, DUI. Why?
Ramadani: In a situation when the Albanian party in government does not publicly support the protests and does not have its representatives present at the protests... They could have at least have had their MPs attend the protests. For example, when I was a legislator from the [now defunct] Party for Democratic Prosperity, we were part of the government but for certain issues we disagreed and were present at protests. This is well within the frames of the democratic tools. The DUI could have used this situation better. In their public appearances, they too say that the courts are overly politically influenced. The DUI leader Ali Ahmeti has repeated this in several occasions. Then why not join those who express their revolt against the same thing? They had no feeling for this and failed to establish relations with the organisers of the protests, which could have had an influence right from the start for calmer protests without the use of violence.

But there was chanting against the [Albanian] opposition as well. The name of [the leader of the opposition Democratic Party of Albanians, DPA] Mendh Thaci was also not spared. Why this expression of revolt against Albanian politicians? Because for quite some time now, there is a notion among Albanians that both their top political leaders [the DUI’s Ali Ahmeti and the DPA’s Meduh Thaci] have been put under control by [Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski’s ruling] VMRO DPMNE party. The race between the two parties to be part of the government leaves the impression that they both are being controlled by the structures of VMRO DPMNE and are strongly pressurised to play the role that the Prime Minister wants them to play. This leaves little space for Albanians to believe that their demands will be heard and that their status will improve.
BIRN: The question that foreign reporters usually ask is whether the trial and the protests that followed have the potential to lead to a repetition of the armed conflict between ethnic Albanian rebels and Macedonian security forces in 2001?
Ramadani: The verdicts of the Skopje Criminal Court are now before the Court of Appeals. It is very important for the final verdict of the court to instill trust among the people, no matter whether the defendants are acquitted or not. But I do not believe that faith in the judiciary among Albanians will be restored if we have the same politicians in power.
The battle in the Court of Appeals will be between two political influences, that of the VMRO DPMNE and that of the DUI. If the life sentences for the defendants are confirmed, that would mean that the political influence of the VMRO DPMNE remains prevalent. If the defendants are acquitted, this would be a signal of the DUI’s influence. In any case, we will again have a situation when the common impression will be that the politics has the final say in the judiciary.
Despite some obstacles, because we are not a protectorate, I think that in this case it would be much wiser to ask for an international expert’s help. The more transparent involvement of experts from abroad, experienced in terrorism cases, would help the credibility of the verdict.
The situation is very serious. I do not believe that a similar conflict like that in 2001 could happen again. But we may have a political crisis dictated by the junior ruling DUI. If they really stand behind what they proclaim, they might leave the government, creating a situation when the government will fall and we will have a deeper political crisis, but no armed conflict.  In that case a caretaker government will have to be formed. If all four main political parties are part of that government, this would ensure a more credible election process and would give much stronger credibility to whoever wins the next polls. Thus a deeper political crisis might create a new image of the next government that will improve the image of the state institutions as well and avoid a new armed conflict similar to that in 2001.
Bosnian Croat Fighter Indicted for Mostar Prisoner Abuse (BIRN, 22 July 2014)

Former Croatian Defence Council member Ivan Zelenika was charged with war crimes against Bosniak civilians who were imprisoned at the ‘Heliodrom’ detention camp in Mostar in 1993.

The Bosnian prosecution on Monday charged Zelenika with the abuse and torture of a prisoner at the ‘Heliodrom’ camp while the victim was doing forced labour in November 1993.
According to the indictment, Zelenika beat and severely abused the prisoner, cut his throat with a knife and forced him to stand in an exposed spot in the bunker where he was working, leaving him in danger of being shot by the Bosnian Army.
Zelenika is also charged with beating and kicking the victim’s father, as well as hitting him with bottles, causing him multiple rib fractures.
The indictment has been forwarded to the Bosnian court for confirmation.
Zelenika is also on trial in a separate case along with three other Croatian Defence Council fighters for wartime crimes in the Dretelj camp, one of the most notorious detention centres of the 1992-95 conflict, where several hundred Bosnian Serbs were held.

 

Montenegro Earns More From Arms Sales (BIRN, Dusica Tomovic, 22 July 2014)

Latest report on arms trade shows that the value of exports has risen significantly in recent years.

Montenegro’s annual national report on the weapons trade said the country exported arms worth around 6.5 million euros over the last year, a 30-per-cent increase in value in comparison to previous years.

The Ministry of the Economy prepared the report, which BIRN has seen, last week. It contains information on each export licence issued, giving a description of the goods, the number of items involved and the total value.

The list of counties to which Montenegro sold weapons includes Albania, Yemen, Kazakhstan, Peru and Vietnam.

“The highest income from sold weapons is from the United States, about 1.8 million euro,” the report noted.

Montenegro exported ammunition and fuses for munitions, aviation equipment for military use, rockets, other explosive devices and naval equipment.

When it comes to imports of military equipment, Montenegro bought arms worth about 4.5 million euro, mostly from Taiwan, the US, the Czech Republic and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

During the last year, companies from Montenegro also bought weapons from Italy and Ukraine, mostly ammunition and electronic equipment for military use.

The report said 31 companies are registered to trade in controlled goods in Montenegro. The largest importer and exporter is the Montenegro Defence Industry, MDI, a company 100-per-cent owned by the government.

In 2012, local watchdogs accused the MDO of illegally exporting arms to Libya and Syria, but the company denied the claims.  

EU representatives have told Montenegro to harmonize its legislation on the arms trade to match the EU Code of Conduct on Arms Export, which defines common rules on governing the exports of military technology and equipment.

 

Germany to Try Top Yugoslav Spy for Murder (BIRN, by Josip Ivanovic, 21 July 2014)

The start of the trial of former intelligence agent Josip Perkovic for his alleged involvement in a political assassination in 1983 has been scheduled for October.

The higher court in Munich announced on Friday that Perkovic, a former senior official with the Yugoslav intelligence service, UDBA, would go on trial on October 13 over the murder of Croatian political émigré Stjepan Djurekovic near Munich in 1983.

The trial should conclude by the end of April 2015 and Perkovic could face life imprisonment if convicted.

His lawyer, Anto Nobilo, refused to comment on the contents of the indictment.

“We did not appeal against the indictment, amongst numerous reasons not to reveal our strategy and next steps,” he said.

However before his extradition, Perkovic insisted that he is not guilty.

“Even if I’m going to Munich, I expect a short trial... and, of course, that my absolute innocence in this case will be confirmed,” he said.

Perkovic was arrested and extradited to Germany in January, after his appeal to Croatia’s constitutional court against his extradition failed.

The Djurekovic murder case caused controversy because Croatia last year refused to change its extradition law to adopt the use of European arrest warrants – a move alleged to have been an attempt to shield Perkovic – until Zagreb was threatened with sanctions by Brussels and reversed its stance.