Kosovo Arrests Two Police Over Ivanovic Investigation

Kosovo Police on Saturday arrested two police officers from the Serb-run northern part of the town of Mitrovica on suspicion that they manipulated evidence at the scene of Oliver Ivanovic's murder in January.

"These two officers were on duty watching the crime scene and did not perform their duties as they should," Njazi Rexha, the Kosovo prosecutor investigating Ivanovic case, told BIRN.

Police also said on Saturday that they had raided two locations in northern Mitrovica, acting on a request from the Basic Court in Mitrovica.

During the raids, police seized a gun and two cartridges with nine bullets.

Ivanovic was the head of the Freedom, Democracy, Justice initiative, which was opposed to the main Belgrade-backed Kosovo Serb party, Srpska Lista, which is part of the Kosovo government.

The well-known politician was shot dead in front of his party's offices in northern Mitrovica on January 16. His murder was widely condemned by the EU, Serbia and Kosovo officials.

As BIRN reported, Ivanovic had said several times that he and his family had received threats, and had asked Kosovo, Serbia and others for help - but without any result.

Serbia declared the murder an act of terrorism and demanded to be allowed to participate in bringing the culprits to justice.