Arrest of two lawyers "further pressure on Serbs"

Arrest of two lawyers "further pressure on Serbs"

BELGRADE, ZVEČAN -- Aleksandar Vulin says the arrest of lawyers Dejan Vasić and Faruk Korenica "represents further pressure on Serbs in northern Kosovo."

The minister without portfolio in charge of Kosovo in the technical government called for their immediate release pending trial.

"This is just another in a series of inexplicable arrests. Such behavior is incomprehensible, and I am afraid that Serbs will completely lose trust in EULEX members which will lead to unforeseeable consequences," Vulin told Tanjug.

Vulin demands that Vasić and Korenica be urgently released pending trial as the people they represent have an adequate defense.

He underscored that EULEX has to realize that Serbs are not enemies, and added that EULEX has to do its job in line with the law, and inform the Kosovo police about that in northern Kosovo, and respect human rights regardless of nationality.

"Storming the law firms and the raid that was carried out without the approval of the Bar Association, and the arrest conducted without informing Kosovo police in northern Kosovo and Metohija, really leave us shocked and we must wonder what the purpose of Kosovo police is and whether it has not been informed just because there are Serbs working for it," Vulin said.

In this way, EULEX police violated the law, rules and all agreements, he said, adding that this will increase the distrust that Serbs feel toward them, he said.

Vulin noted that, besides Vasić and Korenica, the three arrested Serbs should also be released pending trial: leader of the Citizens' Initiative "Freedom, Democracy, Justice" (GI SDP) Oliver Ivanović, former police chief in the...