Oliver Ivanovic's health worsens

KOSOVSKA MITROVICA - The health condition of Oliver Ivanovic, the detained leader of Citizens' Initiative Serbia, Democracy, Justice who is on a hunger strike, has worsened, his wife Milena Popovic Ivanovic said on Thursday.

Popovic Ivanovic visited her husband in a detention unit in Pristina after he had gone on a hunger strike four days ago, demanding to be transferred to a detention centre in northern Kosovska Mitrovica.

In a statement to reporters, she said that Ivanovic's condition is very poor, that he has already lost four kilograms and that he suffered an asphyxia attack on Wednesday, after which he requested to be allowed to get some fresh air.
"An incident occurred. Ethnic Albanians who were outside at the time attacked him physically, threatened him and abused him verbally," Ivanovic's wife said, adding that their family was further unsettled by the incident.

The leader of Citizens' Initiative Serbia, Democracy, Justice and candidate for mayor of northern Kosovska Mitrovica in the February 23 elections has been in detention since January 27.

He was arrested on suspicion of involvement in an alleged war crime in 1999 and post-war incidents in 2000, including an aggravated murder, and for inciting to ethnically motivated murder.

The Serbian government on February 10. sought for Ivanovic and three other Serbs to be released pending trial, offering guarantees that they will be available to the EULEX mission throughout their trials.

However, despite the guarantees, Ivanovic's detention has been extended for two more months on February 27.

Photo Tanjug, BOKI, Archive