Patriarch Irinej visits Visoki Decani monastery

BELGRADE, June 19 (Tanjug) - Serbian Orthodox Patriarch Irinej visited the Visoki Decani monastery and served a liturgy in the Patriarchate of Pec monastery in Kosovo-Metohija (KiM) on Saturday, the press service of the Eparchy of Raska and Prizren and Kosovo-Metohija released in a statement.

On the second day of his first visit to KiM since his entronement at the Cathedral Church of St. Michael the Archangel in Belgrade on January 24, Patriarch Irinej served a liturgy in the Patriarchate of Pec monastery, which was attended by priests and twenty-odd believers from the neighboring villages of Serb returnees.

After the liturgy, Patriarch Irinej visited Visoki Decani monastery where he was welcomed by the monastery monks, whereas Bishop Teodosije introduced him to the life of the monastery.

Dacic severely condemns decision to release Aslani

BELGRADE, June 19 (Tanjug) - Serbian Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Ivica Dacic stated Saturday that the decision of the EULEX judge to release from custody Bajram Aslani, wanted by Serbia and the U.S. on suspicion of having planned terrorist acts in the U.S., Kosovo and other territories, is very surprising and that it deserves severe condemnation.

Dacic told Tanjug that Serbia expects that international presence in Kosovo-Metohija will take into account all requests of the Serbian judiciary and that it will respond to America's request that proceedings be instituted against Aslani, one of the strongest extreme radical Islamic leaders in the province.

"Having in mind that both the Serbian and U.S. authorities have issued a warrant for Aslani's arrest, the decision that he be released from custody is very surprising. This may indicate that perhaps there are double standards when it comes to the members of Albanian radical groups," Dacic said.

Dacic stressed that the U.S. has issued a search warrant for Aslani and expects him to be extradited for having planned terrorist acts in the U.S.

Aslani is also suspected of having planned terrorist acts in Kosovo, in Jordan and in the Gaza Strip.

Dacic said that, according to the information of the Serbian police, Aslani bought a large quantity of plastic explosives in Bosnia-Herzegovina in 2009, which he then transfered to Kosovo-Metohija. The explosives were intended for terrorist acts in Central Serbia, Dacic underscored.

Suspected terrorist from Kosovo released from custody

PRISTINA, June 19 (Tanjug) - The EULEX judge released from custody on Friday Bajram Aslani, ethnic Albanian arrested in northern Kosovo based on the warrant issued by the United States public prosecutor for the Eastern District of North Carolina, on suspicion of having planned to perform terrorist acts in the U.S., Kosovo and other territories.

Aslani (29), who spent a night in prison, was released due to the lack of evidence, but is obliged to contact the police twice a week.

He was dispossessed of his passport and served with the court order that he must not leave Kosovo.

Aslani is the second Kosovo citizen in the group of nine persons suspected of having planned to perform terrorist acts in the U.S., Kosovo and other territories.

Aslani is suspected of having planned, in cooperation with Hisert Serifi, to construct an operative base in Kosovo, where troops would be recruited for militant jihad.

Aslani, who was arrested by the Kosovo police under the supervision of EULEX Special Prosecutor and five agents of the U.S. Federal Investigation Bureau (FBI), had maintained regular contact with a jihad group from the U.S. federal state of North Carolina, whose members were arrested in July 2009.

Amorim: One should always negotiate, even on Kosovo

BRASILIA, June 19 (Tanjug) - Brazil believes that one should negotiate on all issues, including the one of Kosovo-Metohija, Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Luiz Nunes Amorim has stated ahead of his visit to Belgrade on Sunday, the first one by a Brazilian foreign minister.

We were protecting territorial integrity, as well as the right of Kosovo citizens to essential autonomy within a completely democratic state, Amorim stated in an interview for Tanjug.

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