Office for Kosovo and Metohija
Government of the Republic of Serbia

Đurić wrote to UNMIK and EULEX concerning Ivanović

Director of the Government's Office for Kosovo and Metohija Marko ĐuriĆ said today that it is time for the Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija to come together in solidarity with Oliver Ivanovic who went on a hunger strike, in order to combat practices that deviate from the rule of law.

“Without prejudice to the principle of independence of the judiciary, we urge you to take immediate measures under your jurisdiction, and avail yourself of any formal and informal resources that are available to you, in order to ensure that fundamental human rights and freedoms of the detainees are observed, and to prevent deterioration of Ivanović's health, but also to avoid destabilization of the social and political climate in Kosovo and Metohija, “Đurić urged in his letter.

Recalling all the earlier letters where the Office for Kosovo and Metohija listed arguments to release Ivanović and Delibašić pending trial, and also recalling the guarantees extended by the Government of Serbia, that Ivanović and Delibašič would be available to Eulex, Đurić underscored that the detention has been extended outside any legal logic, and that the uniqueness of the situation, in both procedural and political terms, calls for an exceptional response.

“The judicial system in Kosovo and Metohija, which is under the EULEX supervision, today has the opportunity to build or destroy its credibility. We recall that Belgrade and Pristina, with the EU mediation and guarantees, have reached the agreement on judiciary whose full implementation is pending. We underline that it will be very difficult to establish the trust of the Serbian community in the justice system in Kosovo and Metohija, unless a solution is found in this case, given that the entire Serbian community in Kosovo and Metohija, as well as the professional public in Serbia, denounce the criteria based on which the detention is extended to Ivanović and Delibašić. We dare not to even consider the consequences of a possible drastic deterioration of Ivanović's health.”