Delevic and Vasic: No grounds for detaining two Serbs

The defence lawyers for the two Serbs arrested yesterday in the municipality of Istok, Milos Delevic and Dejan Vasic, said after the detention hearing that Zikica and Grujica Belosevic are accused of murdering 19 Albanian civilians in the village of Padaliste. They expressed hope that the court would reject the prosecution's request for detention, as, they said, there were no grounds for it.

“As you know, three Serbs were arrested yesterday in the village of Crkolez, in the municipality of Istok. One was released yesterday, while a request was submitted for the two others to be placed in court-ordered detention for up to 30 days. We opposed this measure. We pointed out that Grujica and Zikica Belosevic had lived in Kosovo after the war and had spent 27 years living in their village, raising livestock and working in agriculture. They had never attempted to flee,” lawyer Milos Delevic said.

Delevic said there were no grounds for court-ordered detention and that the defence had proposed an alternative measure, either house arrest or bail, guaranteeing that the suspects would defend themselves while at liberty and respond to court summonses.

He added that they were accused of a crime in the village of Padaliste, namely the murder of 19 civilians of Albanian ethnicity.

“What kind of person, if he had taken part in those killings, would have stayed in Kosovo and lived for 27 years alongside Albanians whom he encounters every day? I believe that the Special Prosecution, faced with suspects who are on the run and whom it cannot reach because they are in Serbia, is arresting innocent people without a single piece of evidence,” Delevic explained.

Lawyer Dejan Vasic said that his client, Grujica Belosevic, had no connection whatsoever to the events in question and that he hoped the court would reach a fair decision.

“I would not like to discuss the evidence at this stage, or whether it exists and how substantial it is, but I know that Grujica has absolutely nothing to do with this incident. The attitude and conduct of the pre-trial judge, who will decide on this request today, give me a glimmer of confidence that the court will nevertheless consider the defence's arguments and proposals and opt for a less restrictive measure. Perhaps there will even be a precedent in the case of my client, and a less restrictive measure will be imposed on him today,” Vasic said.

The court's decision on the prosecution's request for detention will be announced at a later date.

Kosovo Police arrested three Serbs from Osojane yesterday: Zikica and Grujica Belosevic, as well as Obrad Tijanic, who was later released.