Ivanovic case: Kosovo police officers released

Belgrade-based Beta agency reported this early on Monda, citing Pristina-based Albanian language website gazetaexpress.com.

According to the report, the officers are "D.M. and Z.J."

Later in the day, Pristina-based media said that the policemen had been released from custody, with Kosovo prosecutor Shuqri Sula saying the decision was "unexpected" - and announcing he would appeal against it.

The prosecution previously sought to keep the officers, both from northern Kosovska Mitrovica, in custody for one month.

According to the website KoSSev, they are suspected of removing a shell casing from the murder scene, and later failing to turn it in along with other evidence.

Their arrest took place on the order of the Basic Court in Mitrovica and during the search of the detainees, a TT pistol with two magazines containing nine 7.62 mm caliber bullets was found, which will be used in further procedures.

Although neither the statement of the Kosovo police nor the Police Inspectorate revealed the identity of the detainees, the portal gazetaexpress.com writes that they are D.M. and Z.J.

Prosecutor Njazi Rexha confirmed on Saturday that two members of the Kosovo police were arrested, and as he said "they were on duty and did not do a good job."

Oliver Ivanovic was killed on January 16 in Kosovska Mitrovica, in front of his Civic Initiative "Serbia, Democracy, Justice." According to the information from the autopsy, Ivanovic was hit with six bullets from the "a long nine" and a burned vehicle was found near the site of the murder.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said immediately that the murder of Oliver Ivanovic was a terrorist act and that Serbia would treat it accordingly, and...