EU says it is watching Popovic case closely

BRUSSELS - An EU spokesperson said on Wednesday Brussels was watching closely the case of Assistant Director of the Serbian government Office for Kosovo-Metohija Igor Popovic, who was recently arrested by the Pristina authorities, and that it expected full respect for rule of law and fair proceedings.

In response to a Tanjug query, the EU said all detentions must be justified and proportionate.

It is only through dialogue that progress can be achieved in normalisation of relations between Belgrade and Pristina, it added, noting that statements and actions that were not conducive to that objective should be avoided.

Popovic was arrested at the Brnjak administrative crossing on Friday and placed in custody on Sunday for up to 30 days.

He has been charged with allegedly causing discord and intolerance in a speech in Velika Hoca, Kosovo-Metohija, at a memorial service for Serbs killed and kidnapped by the terrorist "Kosovo Liberation Army" in the Orahovac municipality in 1998 and 1999.

The head of the Office for Kosovo-Metohija Petar Petkovic said on Monday the decision to place Popovic in custody demonstrated a sheer misuse of Pristina's judiciary for Albin Kurti's political purposes, and noted that dialogue on normalisation of relations with Pristina would not be continued until Popovic was released.

"Popovic was arrested and handcuffed like the biggest criminal just because he spoke the truth about the suffering of Serbs in Orahovac," Petkovic also said.