Predrag Pantic: The decision that my father be released pending trial is a great relief; we hope that this is the beginning of the end

The son of Dejan Pantic, who was released today pending trial, after more than eight months of house arrest, Predrag Pantic told Kosovo Online that the family had welcomed this news with great relief and that his father was happy, but also that he was not yet fully aware that it had actually happened.

"The father was released pending trial, the bail was posted today, the mother was with a lawyer, and this is encouraging and important news for all of us, especially for him who was not feeling well. He was hospitalized for ten days, which was the main reason for us to ask that he be released pending trial," Pantic says.

He pointed out that no indictment had been brought against his father and that nothing had happened in this matter for all these months.

"I'll try to be precise, they extended his house arrest four times for two months each. When they ordered him house arrest, it was significant for us, and I can't tell you how much it means to us that he was released pending trial. This does not mean that he is freed, but only that he is released pending trial, because he is still being treated as a suspect," Predrag Pantic says.

As he adds, his father is obliged to answer every summons related to the court proceedings against him.

"We hope that this is the beginning of the end, because we do not have any information, and neither does the lawyer, that there is any evidence against him," Predrag Pantic said.

He added that he hoped that now when he could freely walk around the city and go to the doctor without police escort, his father's health would be better.

"The decision was made an hour or two ago and he is still in positive shock. I want to thank the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, our country Serbia, who helped us both legally and were with us all the time, and I also want to thank the media who correctly and professionally reported the situation my father is going through," Pantic said.

Dejan Pantic was a member of the Kosovo Police, which he left at the beginning of November last year when the Serbs withdrew from Pristina institutions. He was arrested on December 10 at the Jarinje crossing when he and his wife were returning from Raska, and Pristina accuses him of having organized a "terrorist attack" on the premises of the CEC in North Mitrovica.

His lawyer and family pointed out that Pantic had been without the necessary therapy for days, that he had a heart condition, and that they had not even managed to get in touch with him. Eighteen days after his arrest, Pantic was placed under house arrest, which was repeatedly extended for two months until today, when he was released on bail pending trial.