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.

“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.

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? 

Oliver Ivanovic was yesterday handed a new decision on remand in custody for another two months. CI SDP leader, who has been in custody since 27 January, was accused by the Kosovo authorities and EULEX prosecutor of war crimes committed in 1999 and 2000, for which Ivanovic pleaded not guilty.

Former US diplomat Gerard Gallucci, who was the regional head of UNMIK in Mitrovica, said that he, at the time when he was the UN representative in this city, considered Oliver Ivanovic "a person committed to protect the Serbian community in Kosovo - but by political means, not violence".

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 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.

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.

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.

“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.