Petkovic: No response to request for phone call with Serb arrested by Pristina

KOSOVSKA MITROVICA - The head of the Serbian government Office for Kosovo-Metohija Petar Petkovic said on Tuesday a Pristina court was not responding to a renewed request by lawyers to allow the family of Serb Dejan Pantic, a former Kosovo Police officer arrested on December 10, to have at least a one-minute phone conversation with him.

The lawyers made the request last Friday but there has been no response for five days now, Petkovic wrote in a Twitter post.

"But a call via video link was arranged without delay when it suited (Pristina PM Albin) Kurti's court to place Dejan in custody," he added.

Earlier today, Pantic's wife and son went to a base set up by Pristina's special police forces near the Jarinje administrative crossing but were not allowed to get in contact with him.

In a statement to the Kosovo Online news portal, Dejan's son said they had only managed to send him clean clothes and toiletries.

Pantic's family has had no contact with him since the arrest.