Krivokapic: We will appeal detention order for Serbs; decision served on us in Albanian

Lawyer Jelena Krivokapic said that she would appeal the decision of the Basic Court in Pristina ordering one month of detention for nine Serbs from Zubin Potok who are suspected of the criminal offense of a “war crime against the civilian population.”

Krivokapic told Kosovo Online that the decision had been served on the lawyers in Albanian.

“The Court ordered one month of detention for all the suspects in the war crimes case. We received the decision in Albanian, together with a notice stating that a translation would be sent to us tomorrow, after which we will file our appeals,” Krivokapic said.

Earlier today, the Special Department of the Basic Court in Pristina ordered one month of detention for the nine suspects on suspicion of committing a “war crime against the civilian population.”

Kosovo Police arrested nine Serbs from Zubin Potok on Sunday in connection with the case known as the “group of intellectuals.”

A detention hearing for the nine Serbs—D. D., M. R., M. R., R. R., S. D., S. D., V. L., R. R. and D. D.—was held yesterday, when their initial detention was extended by another 48 hours.

Following the arrests, the Office for Kosovo and Metohija said yesterday that mass arrests had become Pristina’s new method of retaliation against Serbs and that recent discoveries in Zubin Potok were being used as a pretext to stigmatize and target all remaining Serbs.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said that the arrests represented the most insidious method of ethnic cleansing of Serbs from Kosovo.