Ivanovic: Charges monstrous, politically motivated

BELGRADE - The leader of the Citizens' Initiative Serbia, Democracy, Justice Oliver Ivanovic has dismissed the charges raised against him as monstrous, totally fabricated and politically motivated, vowing that he and his lawyers will put up a strong fight to discredit the indictment.

Ivanovic, who is in a detention unit in Kosovska Mitrovica, was responding to questions asked by the RTS Internet portal.

Suspected as the leader of a Serbian paramilitary police unit at the time, Ivanovic has been charged by the Kosovo judiciary with inciting a group of subordinate personnel to commit war crimes against civilians on April 14, 1999 in North Mitrovica.

He was arrested on January 27 this year, but was only able to enter his plea after seven months.

Ivanovic said that seven months or fifteen years ago he could not have even imagined that he might end up in prison, because the life he had led ruled out that scenario altogether.

"No one who knows me even just a little can believe the charges, which are monstrous and totally fabricated. My confidence that this will be proved before the public is what is giving me strength... The support from the Serbian government and the entire public, which did not let the case be covered up, is very important to me," Ivanovic said.

Ivanovic said that he was most afraid of the possibility of the indictment being delayed indefinitely, and cited the example of Orahovac Mayor Andjelko Kolasinac, who spent more than four years in detention, but was eventually cleared of all charges.

"At this point, that is not possible in my case - the court will either drop the charges, which may even be dismissed by the prosecutor himself, as he is aware that my lawyers and I will...