EULEX wants me behind bars no matter what, regardless of the fact that the Serbian government has repeatedly provided strong guarantees so I could be released pending trial, says Oliver Ivanovic, leader of the Citizens' Initiative ‘Freedom, Democracy, Justice’ (GI SDP), who has been in remand custody in Kosovo for 10 months now for allegedly committing war crimes during the NATO aggression and bombing of Serbia in 1999. “The government is helping me prepare for the trial, but for some reason EULEX refuses to release me from custody despite the government’s guarantees.

“One part of the Brussels agreement envisages that, in Serb-majority municipalities in Kosovo, Serbs must be employed in Courts and Prosecutors’ Offices in proportion with the ethnic composition of the population. That part of the agreement must be implemented as soon as possible,” said Marko Djuric, Director of the Serbian Government’s Office for Kosovo and Metohija. Djuric said that international justice cannot replace domestic judicial system in Kosovo and Metohija.

Oliver Ivanovic, leader of the CI SDP, who is currently in custody, in an interview for Radio Kontakt Plus says he is optimistic that he will soon be released. Radio Kontakt Plus received the answers to the questions through Ivanovic’s lawyer. Do you believe that you will soon be released and whether there's any justice in Kosovo?  It's hard to be optimistic in this situation, but I am optimistic due to several reasons. First, the trial must soon begin.

Oliver Ivanovic was yesterday handed a new decision on remand in custody for another two months.

BELGRADE - Deputy leader of the Citizens’ Initiative SDP Ksenija Bozovic said Thursday that she expected the trial against the party leader Oliver Ivanovic to begin before the end of 2015, pointing out that his defense was fully prepared for the trial. Bozovic told Tanjug that the defense had presented all evidence Oliver Ivanovic had and the names of his witnesses to the court within the statutory deadline, adding that she expected the trial to begin before year’s end. The entire team of lawyers who will defend Ivanovic and Ivanovic himself, who has been in detention for a long time now, ar

The deadline for the submission of evidence for the defence of CI SDP leader, Oliver Ivanovic, who was last month indicted for war crimes, expires on 26 September. EULEX prosecutor filed an indictment against Oliver Ivanovic, after he spent nearly a year in custody. His team of lawyers is ready for the trial and their objections and evidence will be submitted to the court before the deadline. "He has the team of lawyers who are actively engaged in preparing his defence. During the course of day, possibly tomorrow, they will submit a response to the lawsuit and the evidence.

BELGRADE - Head of the Serbian government Office for Kosovo-Metohija (KiM) Marko Djuric said Wednesday that he expects extention of the 30-day deadline set for the presentation of defense of Oliver Ivanovic and other defendants, and reiterated that Serbia requests that the defendants be granted pre-trial release and ensured a fair trial. Djuric told the Radio and Television of Serbia that he expects the legal team representing Ivanovic, leader of the Citizens' Initiative "Freedom, Democracy, Justice" (GI SDP), to be accorded with sufficient time to gather the required evidence and material fo

ZVECAN - Reacting to yet another extension of custody for leader of the Citizens’ Initiative “Freedom, Democracy, Justice” (GI SDP) Oliver Ivanovic, his lawyer Nebojisa Vlajic said Wednesday that the head of EULEX was interfering in the work of judicial authorities in Kosovo, as he had been announcing that extension for a few days before the decision had been made. EULEX spokeswoman Dragana Nikolic-Solomon told Tanjug yesterday that Ivanovic’s custody had been extended by another two more months, to October 26. “We received the decision on the extension of detention yesterday at noon, and th

“Serbia stands alongside Oliver, Ilija, Dragoljub, Nebojsa and Aleksandar and we are confident that they would prove innocent, in whichever fair procedure,” said Director of the Government Office for Kosovo and Metohija, Marko Djuric, to the reporters in Kosovska Mitrovica. At the same time, he added, Serbia is demanding their release pending completion of the court procedure, and that they will be allowed adequate time for the preparation of defence. After attending the first hearing of the five Serbs, Djuric said that the Prosecution had 15 years to prepare "something what does not look li