Igor Simic from the defence team of the SDP leader told KIM radio that starting the story about Oliver Ivanovic in Brussels, in the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, was the best way to draw attention to the violation of his human rights.

“I do not expect anyone to influence the judiciary, but this is absolutely the best way to influence the violation of basic human rights of Mr Oliver Ivanovic or any Serb in Kosovo and Metohija.”

In ten months EULEX will end its mission and would leave Kosovo, but it is already clear that no one will complain. If there is something about which Kosovo Albanians and Serbs agree then it is about the final results of this mission and that they are very poor.

Head of EULEX Gabriele Meucci has expressed concern over the health of the leader of the Serb Civic Initiative (CI) Oliver Ivanovic currently on trial on war crimes charges. In a letter to Kosovo Serb leaders, Meucci said that EULEX shares the concerns over Ivanovic’s health during his hunger strike but added that EULEX is acting by the law and gave assurances that the decisions will be taken in an independent manner.

EULEX Spokesperson Dragana Nikolic Solomon could not confirm on Friday whether clinical treatment would be granted to Oliver Ivanovic whose condition aggravated after eight days of hunger strike in the Kosovska Mitrovica prison.

Clinical treatment will be ensured in keeping with the court decision after a detailed medical examination of the defendant and in close cooperation with the Kosovo institutions, Solomon told Tanjug.

Four days after the first protests in support to detained leader of the Civic Initiative SDP Oliver Ivanović and retired Serbian police colonel Dragoljub Delibašić in North Mitrovica, the second one will take place tomorrow at 10:00 at the same place, in front of the Basic Court.

The Director of the Serbian Government’s Office, Marko Đurić, and chairperson of the Committee for Assistance to Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija of the Republic of Srpska, Milorad Arlov, will join the protests.

Transparency International, a leading NGO, has accused EU law chiefs in Kosovo of “intimidation” of potential whistleblowers. It spoke out on Tuesday (12 August) on the case of Maria Bamieh, a British prosecutor, who used to work for Eulex, the EU’s rule of law mission in Kosovo - the biggest and most expensive EU operation of its kind.

https://euobserver.com/institutional/129879

In the church of the Holy Virgin and at the cemetery in Gorazdevac tomorrow will be held a memorial service for Ivan Jovovic (19) and Pantelija Dakic (12), murdered on 13 August 2003, when unknown persons from automatic weapons shot children who were swimming in Bistrica River. Djordje Ugrenović (20), Bogdan Bukumiric (14), Marko Bogicevic (12) and Dragan Srbljak (13) were then seriously wounded.

The Eparchy of Raška and Prizren of the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) has expressed deep concern over the health of Civic Initiative SDP leader Oliver Ivanović, who has gone on a hunger strike, and urged the international community in Kosovo-Metohija to ensure that he is released pending a verdict.

In a statement, the Eparchy urged a soonest possible conclusion of the trials of Ivanović and retired Serbian police colonel Dragoljub Delibašić, to which it said they are entitled, pursuant to all international conventions.

Head of Office for Kosovo and Metohija Marko Djuric asked the UNMIK Chief Farid Zarif and EULEX Chief Gabriel Meucci to engage on Ivanovic's case.

Djuric in an official letter addressed to EULEX and UNMIK requested to enable bail for the leader of the Citizens' Initiative SDP, Oliver Ivanovic and Dragoljub Delibasic. Also, Djuric states that it would prevent human right violations and damage of Ivanovic's health.

Deputy Chairperson of the Civic Initiative SDP, Ksenija Bozovic, stated today that Oliver Ivanović’s health is worsening after he went on hunger strike five days ago.

She said that SDP has no additional information about his health status, and that Ivanović’s friends and family are disappointed with the behavior of the court and EULEX officials who simply went silent and ignorant.