Pantovic: There is a political process against Pantic, Pristina declared him guilty even before the trial

Government officials in Pristina declare Dejan Pantic guilty even before his trial has ended, even though he has done nothing wrong. This is another proof that a political process is being conducted against him and that, along with other rights that have been denied to him, the presumption of innocence is also being violated, a lawyer Ljubomir Pantovic said for Kosovo online.

He said this after Kosovo Police Minister Xhelal Svecla said last night that "freedom of movement and development of all citizens cannot be conditioned by the freedom of criminals who threatened all citizens without distinction with their acts of terrorism", thus virtually declaring Dejan Pantic guilty of the alleged crime which is charged against him, although the trial has not yet started.

The Serbs gathered at the barricades have been demanding the release of former policeman Dejan Pantic for the twelfth day. The judge of the Special Department of the Basic Court in Pristina sentenced him to judicial custody for 30 days, and the appeal against that decision was rejected by the Court of Appeal in Pristina.

"I would not get into political waters, but the law on criminal procedure, as well as the Constitution, exclusively provide provisions that no one can be considered guilty, until his guilt is established through a final court decision. What was presented yesterday is a gross violation of the presumption of innocence every person. Even a person who has been sentenced to the most severe punishment, until the verdict becomes final, no one must call him a criminal. Svecla violated the Law on Criminal Procedure of Kosovo and the Constitution, and it is not right for him to appoint such persons from a ministerial position statements to the public. This sends a certain message to the public," says Pantovic.

He adds that no one, except the courts and the prosecutor's office, can accuse and condemn someone in advance.

"Individual politicians often have the need to accuse and convict outside the prosecutor's office and the courts, and that is exactly what happened in this situation. I will point out that when the Serb Zoran Djokic was convicted of war crimes in Pristina three years ago, when the verdict was only announced orally, and Dokic and I, as his defense attorney, received it in written form after four to five months, the then Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kosovo, who of course did not read the verdict, stated that, I quote, Zoran Djokic is a genocidal criminal and that the sentence that was imposed is light. He directly asked the court to impose a higher sentence. Something similar is happening now," Pantovic says.

Pantic's lawyer strongly reacted to the claims of the head of operations of the Kosovo Police, Gazmend Hoxha, that Dejan Pantic's rights were not violated.

"The statement that Dejan's rights are not being violated is absolutely unacceptable. His right to unhindered and unrestricted contact with the defense attorneys was violated. Pantic was only seen via video link by a colleague Mitrovic. Contact with the family is another right that is being violated for Pantic. It is a guaranteed right that must be allowed to every detained or convicted person, visits, conversations and the like. Dejan Pantic does not have these rights," Pantovic was emphatic.

"The fact that Pantic has food, water and a bed does not mean that his rights have not been violated"

He also states which rights of Pantic are being violated.

"It is a fundamental right that the criminal proceedings take place with special urgency, because custody is an exception, the proceedings are generally conducted in the absence of the defendant, and if the defendant is in custody, the proceedings must proceed quickly, and we have a situation where for 12 days not a single procedural action has been undertaken, except that he was detained and that the appeal against his detention was rejected. Then, as far as the right to medical treatment is concerned, we only have the information that he had appropriate therapy. We know that he is a heart patient, but neither we, as the defense attorneys nor the family, could be sure of that and that he would tell us that.

Then, walking in an open space is the next right that is almost certainly being violated for Pantic, because I don't believe that it is possible for him where he is, and every detainee has the right to be in an open space for at least two hours, to walk," Pantovic said.

He recalls that he, like other Pantic's defenders, submitted a series of requests, but that there were no reactions.

"We submitted a request to visit it as defense attorneys, but there was no response. As well as a request to be visited by his wife or son. We also demanded that he be allowed to talk on the phone, so that family members can hear him, to make sure that he is alive. We haven't received an answer to that either," says Pantovic, noting that the fact that Pantic has food, water and a bed does not allow Hodža to claim that Pantic's rights have not been violated.

"Gazmend Hoxha's statement that he is not sure whether the family members managed to visit Pantic is incomprehensible, it has been repeated so many times, and it was confirmed yesterday during the family's trip to Jarinje.I don't know how someone like the head of the operation is not sure whether the family saw Pantic or not," Pantovic says.