An independent expert appointed to investigate allegations of corruption inside the EU’s rule-of-law mission in Kosovo only has a ‘limited’ role, warned Human Rights Watch.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called on the EU’s foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, to give more powers to the expert tasked with probing the corruption allegations, made by an EU prosecutor, which caused a scandal in Kosovo in October.

On 27 December will be 11 months since the arrest of Oliver Ivanović. On the same day expires the decision on the extension of his detention. Defence says it is ready, and representatives of the CI SDP, whose leader is Ivanovic, expect that EULEX will make a fair decision and allow the accused to be released pending trial.

The EULEX Prosecution has not filed an indictment against Slavisa Ristic, a former president of Zubin Potok, who is suspected of alleged serious crimes. After hours of interrogation, Ristic was determined the measure of mandatory reporting to the Mitrovica and Zubin Potok police station.

The Serb former mayor of the Zubin Potok municipality, Slavisa Ristic, was questioned by EU rule-of-law mission prosecutors over the murder of a Kosovo police officer in 2011.

Ristic was questioned by EU rule-of-law mission, EULEX prosecutors at the basic court in Mitrovica on Monday over suspected involvement in an attack in July 2011 in Zubin Potok, in which a member of Kosovo’s police special unit was killed.

“Ristic appeared voluntarily before the prosecutors,” EULEX spokesperson Dragana Nikolic-Solomon told BIRN.

Serbian Interior Minister, Nebojsa Stefanovic, said to Gabriele Meucci, the Head of EULEX Mission in Kosovo, that interest of Serbia is achieving full security of the Serbian population in the province. Stefanovic pointed out the expectation that the suspect in the murder of Serbian gendarme Stevan Sinđelić will be found.  He said that Serbia has certain operational knowledge about the tragic murder of Sinđelić and indicated that it is a crime without precedent. "We insist on completing the investigation and consequent prosecution of the suspects," said the minister.

The small nation state has not had a government for six months and corruption and cynicism still rule.

Kosovo has been without a government since the inconclusive general election six months ago; yet the remarkable thing is how little difference this has made. The other remarkable thing is that the foreigners who exercise real influence here – the Americans, but also the EU – have held off from telling local people what to do, though that is starting to change.

The new head of EULEX, Gabriele Meucci started the first visit to Belgrade yesterday, since the entry into the office, with a meeting with the Head Office for Kosovo and Metohija, Marko Djuric.

The press release of EULEX stated that Meucci and Djuric talked about the new mandate of the EU mission, with special emphasis on the north of Kosovo. This press release reported that the new head of the mission said that "EULEX is committed to strengthening the rule of law in northern Kosovo."

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.

Foreign missions are ostensibly sent to monitor and correct perceived problems on the ground.  They are equipped with the language of appropriate righteousness, and the clothing of good will.  That, at least, is what the operation brief is meant to state.  Often, the language fades.