KOSOVSKA MITROVICA - Acting EULEX Chief Joelle Vachter stated on Sunday that warrants have been issued for the arrest of Zubin Potok Mayor Stevan Vulovic and former mayor Slavisa Ristic. In an interview for the Mitrovica-based Kontakt Plus radio, Vachter said that Vulovic is suspected of organising escape of several arrestees, while Ristic is charged with endangering UN and accompanying staff and a grave murder. Vachter said that EULEX will focus its efforts on countering high-level corruption, fight against organised crime and solving war crimes cases. At this point, we are working on some

Representatives of the Serbian National Council consider that Acting Head of EULEX Joelle Vachter confirmed the claim on secret list for Serbs' arrest with the statement on issuance of warrants for the arrest of Stevan Vulovic and Slavisa Ristic. "At the same time, Ms.

A UN Security Council meeting to present UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon’s regular quarterly report on the situation in Kosovo was held late on Friday. An agreement was reached that a special court for war crimes committed in KiM should be set up as soon as possible, Tanjug reported. Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dačić said that Serbia expects a special court to be set up as soon as possible, by the beginning of the next year at the latest, before which indictments will be raised against leaders of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) suspected of crimes against humanity and war crimes. Dačić

Political and security situation in northern Kosovo is increasingly unstable, rated today councillors of  four Municipal Assemblies at the meeting convened by emergency procedure. Having concluded that "EULEX is acting contrary to the entrusted mandate and contrary to the objectives of the international community," councillors concluded that EULEX with its activity in last few months has lost the confidence of those who should protect, which makes impossible further achievement of the objectives of this mission.

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

Mayor of Kosovska Mitrovica north, Goran Rakic rejected the assessment of EULEX chief Bernd Borhart that residents of northern Kosovo are increasingly satisfied with the EU mission. “We, mayors from northern Kosovo and Metohija, and especially people who live in the north, are not satisfied with the work of EULEX, as claimed by Mr. Borhard. Of course that we all stand for the rule of law and are committed to getting free of the burden of organized crime, drug dealers and perpetrators of serious crimes, but these issues are not addressed by the EULEX courts and prosecution,” said Rakic.

 Head of EULEX Kosovo Bernd Borchardt jas rejected the claims that the Kosovo Serbs do not trust EULEX, adding that the citizens of Kosovo who have not committed any crimes have nothing to fear, because there are no secret lists or secret indictments against Kosovo Serbs. The claims that the Serbs in northern Kosovo are losing their confidence in EULEX's good intentions are speculations and propaganda, he told the daily Politika from Belgrade, adding that surveys conducted throughout Kosovo showed that the people in the north were happy with EULEX's work. Based on direct contacts, EULEX