Q:
A:
All workers of Kosovska Mitrovica court released
Gracanica,
17 March 2008
Serbian Minister for Kosovo-Metohija Slobodan Samardzic confirmed that all workers arrested this morning during UNMIK’s raid have been set free.
Author:
Fonet
Samardzic, who is in Gracanica as part of his visit to Kosovo-Metohija, said earlier today that this morning's raid by UNMIK police into the court building in Kosovska Mitrovica and the arrest of the judges is unacceptable and contrary to all forms of civilised behaviour.
Samardzic said that this morning a request was sent to UNMIK asking that Serbs, arrested in the northern part of Kosovska Mitrovica, be released immediately. He also recalled that he spoke late yesterday in Gracanica with Deputy Head of UNMIK Larry Rossin and he offered them an agreement on solving all open issues between UNMIK and Serbia concerning Serbs in Kosovo-Metohija.
Besides, we made a principled agreement not to take any action until I go to Kosovska Mitrovica, said Samardzic.
In spite of that, UNMIK and KFOR carried out this violent act and provoked the citizens, leading to riots in the streets which are now subsiding, but as far as I know, they took 33 or 34 judges and court workers to Pristina.
If we are supposed to maintain peace, order and stability and to cooperate, we are requesting that they release those people and to solve the problems as I proposed yesterday, i.e. through agreement and talk, Samardzic said.
The Minister for Kosovo-Metohija said that for some reason UNMIK resorted to violence, but that is not the way to solve things, even more so because our verbal agreement to solve problems peacefully has been broken, Samardzic underlined.
The Minister also visited Kosovska Mitrovica today where he addressed people at a protest gathering held in the northern part of the city.
He said that the police raid and arrests were planned, and stressed that Serbs are not in favour of violence and an international investigation into the event will be launched.
He said that they should have faith in Belgrade, and added that now it is not the politicians who are important but the Serbian people in Kosovo.
The protestors later marched to the main bridge on the Ibar River which is open on the northern side but where barbed wire has been installed in the middle.
The students, citizens and Minister Samardzic placed flowers at the memorial near the bridge to honour Serbs who were killed in the violence which broke out on March 17, 2004.
Samardzic said that this morning a request was sent to UNMIK asking that Serbs, arrested in the northern part of Kosovska Mitrovica, be released immediately. He also recalled that he spoke late yesterday in Gracanica with Deputy Head of UNMIK Larry Rossin and he offered them an agreement on solving all open issues between UNMIK and Serbia concerning Serbs in Kosovo-Metohija.
Besides, we made a principled agreement not to take any action until I go to Kosovska Mitrovica, said Samardzic.
In spite of that, UNMIK and KFOR carried out this violent act and provoked the citizens, leading to riots in the streets which are now subsiding, but as far as I know, they took 33 or 34 judges and court workers to Pristina.
If we are supposed to maintain peace, order and stability and to cooperate, we are requesting that they release those people and to solve the problems as I proposed yesterday, i.e. through agreement and talk, Samardzic said.
The Minister for Kosovo-Metohija said that for some reason UNMIK resorted to violence, but that is not the way to solve things, even more so because our verbal agreement to solve problems peacefully has been broken, Samardzic underlined.
The Minister also visited Kosovska Mitrovica today where he addressed people at a protest gathering held in the northern part of the city.
He said that the police raid and arrests were planned, and stressed that Serbs are not in favour of violence and an international investigation into the event will be launched.
He said that they should have faith in Belgrade, and added that now it is not the politicians who are important but the Serbian people in Kosovo.
The protestors later marched to the main bridge on the Ibar River which is open on the northern side but where barbed wire has been installed in the middle.
The students, citizens and Minister Samardzic placed flowers at the memorial near the bridge to honour Serbs who were killed in the violence which broke out on March 17, 2004.
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