Oliver Ivanovic pleads not guilty

KOSOVSKA MITROVICA - Leader of the Citizen Initiative Freedom, Democracy, Justice (GI SDP) Oliver Ivanovic has pleaded not guilty before the court of first instance in Kosovska Mitrovica on all counts of the indictment for involvement in war crimes in 1999 and 2000.

"I am absolutely not guilty," he replied to judge Roxana Comsa.

The other four indicted Serbs, Dragoljub Delibasic, Ilija and Nebojsa Vujacic and Aleksandar Lazovic also pleaded not guilty.

The court is holding the first hearing in the case against these five, who stand accused of war crimes and aggravated murder committed in 1999 and 2000.

Relatives of the accused, head of the Serbian government office for Kosovo Marko Djuric, his associates, some mayors of Serb municipalities in northern Kosovo and a large number of reporters are at the hearing.

Jonathan Ratel and Romulo Mateus are the prosecutors, while the presiding judge is Roxana Comsa from Romania.

EULEX spokesperson Dragana Nikolic Solomon told reporters ahead of the hearing the accused would have 30 days after the hearing to submit written objections or requests to drop the indictment.

The trial will begin once a judge decides on the objections from the defendants, but there is also the possibility of the indictment being dropped.

Ivanovic has been in custody since January 27, and the Kosovo Special Prosecution Office issued an indictment against him and four other Serbs on August 11.

Ivanovic is charged with ordering the murder of four ethnic Albanians that occurred in Kosovska Mitrovica on April 14, 1999 (during the armed conflict in Kosovo and the NATO bombing of Serbia).

The GI SDP leader is also charged with inciting the killing of...