Pristina's ruling culmination of political misuse of judiciary - Justice Ministry

BELGRADE - The Serbian Ministry of Justice condemned in the strongest terms on Tuesday a "disgraceful and politically motivated" ruling by a so-called court in Pristina under which Serbs Milun Milenkovic, Aleksandar Vlajic and Dejan Pantic have been sentenced to years of imprisonment even though "no relevant evidence corroborating the charges against them was produced throughout the entire proceedings."

"This decision is the culmination of a misuse of the judiciary for political purposes and clearly shows that there is no independent judiciary in Pristina, but an instrument of repression through which Serbs in Kosovo-Metohija are being intimidated and persecuted," the ministry said in a statement.

It noted that the ruling has been made based on speculation and fabricated accusations and without a single credible witness, without material evidence and without respect for the right to efficient defence, which it said was impermissible under the fundamental standards of fair proceedings.

In the statement, the ministry reminded the international community that such actions represented a gross violation of fundamental human rights, the right to freedom and the right to fair trial, guaranteed by UN conventions applicable in Kosovo-Metohija pursuant to UNSCR 1244.

"The goal of this decision is not justice, but political retaliation and ethnic intimidation of the Serbs, with a clear intent to make their survival in Kosovo-Metohija impossible," the ministry said, noting that Serbia would not allow such illegal and discriminatory actions to be normalised.

It also demanded that international missions in Kosovo-Metohija, including EULEX and UNMIK, react urgently to stop Pristina's judicial terror against the Serbs.

"Serbia will also contact international donors that have support programmes for the judiciary in Kosovo-Metohija, and demand that those programmes be halted for as long as Pristina violates the fundamental human rights of the Serbs," the ministry said, adding that it would inform all relevant international organisations of the case and use all available legal and diplomatic mechanisms to protect the convicted Serbs and all their compatriots in Kosovo-Metohija.

Before a so-called basic court in Pristina, Milenkovic and Vlajic each received five-year prison sentences for allegedly committing the criminal act of terrorism, while Pantic was sentenced to two years of imprisonment for allegedly committing the criminal offence of hooliganism.