Vasic on the Arrest of Serbs from Zubin Potok: We Were Not Allowed to See the Detainees – That Has Never Happened Before

Attorney Dejan Vasic, who represents one of the Serbs arrested in Zubin Potok, stated that neither he nor the lawyers representing the other detainees were allowed to see their clients last night in Pristina, describing it as something he had never experienced in his 20 years of legal practice. Vasic added that the Basic Court in Pristina is scheduled to decide tomorrow on the prosecution's request to order pre-trial detention, and that he will see his client for the first time only then.

Vasic explained that immediately after the arrests in Zubin Potok, he and the other defense attorneys went to the police station in Pristina housing the War Crimes Investigation Unit, but were not allowed to see their clients or obtain any information about them.

"I have been practicing law in this city and this region for a full 20 years, and I believe this is the seventeenth war crimes case I have defended during that time. I have always had very proper and professional cooperation with all law enforcement authorities, from the police to the prosecution and the courts. What I experienced last night at the War Crimes Investigation Unit of the police station in Pristina came as a surprise. We stayed there from around 8:00 p.m. until midnight, yet not a single person had the courtesy to receive us or tell us what was going on, let alone allow those five individuals to have access to their defense attorneys or legal representatives," Vasic told Kosovo Online.

He also pointed out that the families of the arrested men had no information about their loved ones until this morning.

"I want to believe that this was a mistake. Perhaps the police officers simply had too much work and, because of that, forgot that those five individuals also have the right to legal defense or representation. But if it was not a mistake, then some competent body or institution should examine why the families of those five arrested men had no information until this morning about where their fathers and brothers were being held. It should also determine whether these people were denied their right to legal protection," Vasic said.

The Kosovo Special Prosecution announced that two individuals identified by the initials M.J. and M.B. had been arrested on suspicion of committing war crimes against the civilian population in the Mitrovica region and had been ordered into detention for up to 48 hours.

Vasic said that the Basic Court in Pristina would decide tomorrow on the request for pre-trial detention, at which point he will see his client for the first time.

"Even today we have been denied access to visit the detained individuals. The police told us that, at this stage of the proceedings, such access was not possible, although it had been completely normal over the past 20 years. As I said, perhaps they are overwhelmed, perhaps the weather is extremely hot, perhaps they have too many obligations, or perhaps some staff members are on annual leave, leaving only a few people to handle everything. I want to believe that is the case. I cannot believe that anyone did this intentionally," Vasic emphasized.

Reacting to the arrests of the Serbs in Zubin Potok, the Office for Kosovo and Metohija stated that the transfer of five Serbs from Zubin Potok to Pristina for questioning was yet another act of repression against the Serbian population in the municipality.

The Office further stated that five Serbs had been taken into custody last night and that, after being questioned until late at night, three detainees from the village of Crepulja were released. M.J. from the village of Donji Jasenovik and M.B. from the village of Kaludra remain in custody.