Stevic: One year after the explosion on the Ibar–Lepenac canal, Pristina still has no evidence against Serbia

Even a year after the explosion on the Ibar–Lepenac canal, there has been no progress in the investigation, despite the fact that Pristina immediately accused Belgrade, journalist from North Mitrovica Lazar Stevic notes, emphasizing that there is no evidence to support such claims, while proceedings are being conducted against local Serbs even though they have no clear connection to the incident.

Stevic recalls that the prime minister in technical mandate, Albin Kurti, hurried to accuse Serbia immediately after the explosion, even though there was no confirmation for such claims.

"It was not even 15 or 20 minutes later, I clearly remember the day it happened on the canal. Pristina officials, primarily Albin Kurti, immediately accused official Belgrade and Serbia of the attack. However, here we are, one year later, everything is at a standstill, they have no evidence that Serbia was behind the attack," Stevic told Kosovo Online.

He pointed out that proceedings are still ongoing against the Serbs whose homes were searched after the explosion, but that no relevant evidence of their involvement in the attack was found.

"There are some indictments after they broke into the homes of Serbs, where they found nothing except some fishing boots and hunting weapons. To this day these people remain under indictment, but not for the attack on the Ibar–Lepenac canal, rather for possession of weapons and some other minor issues. So everything is stagnant," Stevic notes.

He stresses that the only side that presented concrete information about the case was in fact official Belgrade.

"At the time, President Aleksandar Vucic also presented the names of those who participated in the attack, all in order to accuse Serbia. A year has passed, and to this day Pristina remains silent about it. They no longer mention Ibar–Lepenac because they know that what they tried simply did not work, did not produce any positive results. What they wanted was to blame Serbia and make Serbia the sole culprit," our interlocutor concludes.

He says it is yet another failed attempt by the Pristina authorities to shift blame onto Serbia.

"We will see whether the international community will continue to remain silent. None of them has spoken about it, even though Serbia came out with concrete names of who is guilty, who is responsible. However, no investigation has been conducted, so this is yet another failed attempt by Albin Kurti and the Pristina authorities to accuse Serbia of something for which it is not guilty," Stevic concluded.