EULEX arrests lawyer defending Serbs

EULEX arrests lawyer defending Serbs

KOSOVSKA MITROVICA -- The EULEX police last night arrested lawyer Dejan Vasić from Kosovska Mitrovica. Radio Kontakt Plus reports that another person has been detained.

The Beta news agency learned that, in addition to Vasić, Faruk Korenica has also been arrested, and that during the search and the arrest, the EU mission in Kosovo "deployed a large number of EULEX vehicles."

EULEX spokesperson Irina Gudeljevic told Tanjug on Tuesday morning that the two suspects were being interviewed, and that "the Task Force for Mitrovica yesterday conducted a search operation in North Mitrovica."

Vasić and Korenica defend Žarko Veselinović, accused of attempted murder of two members of the Kosovo police unit ROSU. Veselinović was recently released from prison and is under house arrest, after the Serbian government provided guarantees.

Korenica and Vasić last year defended those accused of occupying the courthouse in northern Kosovska Mitrovica in 2008.

Vasić also defended Laza Lazić from the Serb enclave of Štrpce who was charged with "conspiracy against the constitutional laws" of Kosovo.

Vasić was also the lawyer of the retired colonel of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Serbia Dragoljub Delibašić. Delibašić is charged with serious crimes he allegedly committed in 1999 and 2000 in Kosovska Mitrovica, a case connected with that of Oliver Ivanović.