Pristina court orders custody for Serb suspected of alleged war crime

PRISTINA - A Pristina basic court on Wednesday ordered 30-day custody for Kosovo-Metohija Serb Dragutin Naskovic, suspected of allegedly committing a war crime against civilians during the conflict in Kosovo-Metohija in 1999.

Naskovic, a resident of Kmetovac near Gnjilane, Kosovo-Metohija, was arrested by the so-called "Kosovo Police" at the Bela zemlja administrative crossing on September 15.

His attorney Milos Nikolic said the defence would appeal the decision after the court had rejected a request for house arrest on bail.

"We pointed out to the court that there is no need for custody because, 26 years after the war, he lives in Kmetovac. He has never left his place of residence. To the court, we proposed house arrest, in which case his family will provide guarantees with 40,000-euro bail," Nikolic said, adding that his client was an elderly man and in poor health.

"He is 73 and suffering from several illnesses. He has suffered a stroke and has prostate cancer and an artificial hip," Nikolic said.

He noted that Naskovic was suspected under command responsibility and not as a direct perpetrator.