Ivanovic's detention extended by another two months

KOSOVSKA MITROVICA - The detention of Citizens' Initiative Serbia, Democracy, Justice leader Oliver Ivanovic has been extended by another two months, his attorney, lawyer Nebojsa Vlajic, said on Friday.

In a statement to Tanjug, Vlajic said that the decision to extend Ivanovic's detention was made by an Eulex pretrial judge of the Basic Court in Kosovska Mitrovica.

The extension was ordered on Friday, and the detention will now last until August 26.
"The reasons for extending the detention are identical to those cited in the previous orders. The judge is persistently ignoring the guarantees provided by the government of the Republic of Serbia and says that, if freed, Ivanovic could escape or influence witnesses, which is a claim that was untrue from the beginning", Vlajic said.

Vlajic added that the decision may be appealed within 24 hours and that he will most likely do it as early as Friday.

The appeal will be decided upon by the Court of Appeals in Pristina.

Ivanovic was arrested in late January on suspicion of alleged involvement in crimes committed in Kosovo in 1999 and 2000, including an aggravated murder. Ivanovic is one of the Serbs detained in Kosovo for whom the Serbian government has provided guarantees of availability to Kosovo’s judicial authorities in case they are released pending trial.

Photo Tanjug/Boki (archive)