Dusan Obrenovic

PRISTINA - A Pristina basic court on Tuesday sentenced two Kosovo-Metohija Serbs to six months in prison for "involvement in a crowd committing criminal offences or hooliganism."

The men, Dusan Obrenovic and Rados Petrovic, were arrested in May last year following protests in Zvecan.

As they have pleaded guilty, their sentences were reverted to 6,000 euro fines.

BELGRADE - Dusan Obrenovic, a young Serb from Kosovo-Metohija who was arrested by Pristina's police in late May, was on Monday released on bail after six months of incarceration and will stand trial as a free man, the head of the Serbian government Office for Kosovo-Metohija Petar Petkovic announced.

KOSOVSKA MITROVICA - Thousands of Serbs gathered in northern Kosovska Mitrovica on Friday for a peaceful protest march in support of three Serbs recently arrested by Pristina's police - Milun Milenkovic Lune, Rados Petrovic and Dusan Obrenovic.

BELGRADE - Srpska lista leader Goran Rakic said on Monday representatives of Kosovo-Metohija Serbs had informed Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic of the situation on the ground and the problems facing Serbs in the province.

They asked Vucic to use his authority to ensure the soonest possible release of two arrested Serb protesters, Rados Petrovic and Dusan Obrenovic.

BELGRADE - The head of the Serbian government Office for Kosovo-Metohija Petar Petkovic said on Wednesday he had spoken with German Ambassador to Belgrade Anke Konrad to convey additional concerns for the safety of Serbs in Kosovo-Metohija as Pristina's PM Albin Kurti showed no readiness to de-escalate the situation on the ground.

BELGRADE - The head of the Serbian government Office for Kosovo-Metohija Petar Petkovic demanded on Monday an urgent reaction by the international community and a release of two peaceful Serb protesters kidnapped by Pristina's police in Zvecan a week ago.

KOSOVSKA MITROVICA - The lawyer of Dusan Obrenovic, a Serb who was arrested and brutally beaten up by Pristina's police in Zvecan on Monday, said on Friday his client's physical condition was now more stable but that concerns for his safety remained.

ZVECAN - Two Serb men arrested during Monday's clashes in Zvecan and subsequently handed over by Kfor to Pristina's police were transferred to court detention in Kosovska Mitrovica on Wednesday morning, former Zvecan mayor Dragisa Milovic said.

He said Rados Petrovic and Dusan Obrenovic were due to appear before a judge later in the day.

BELGRADE - The head of the Serbian government Office for Kosovo-Metohija Petar Petkovic demanded on Tuesday that the international community urgently release two protesters arrested in Zvecan on Monday.

In a statement, Petkovic said Dusan Obrenovic and Rados Petrovic had been protesting peacefully without committing any offence.