Lack of Kosovo co-operation Serbia hinders investigation into Ivanovic case

The competent Kosovo authorities say they are working intensively to whiteen the Mitrovica Serb politician's murder, but, according to them, are failing to provide valuable information from Belgrade as well.

Oliver Ivanovic, has acted in Kosovo as political representative, but also had Serbia's citizenship. He was killed on January 16, 2018, in front of his party headquarters in northern Mitrovica. Ivanovic was the leader of the civic initiative “Freedom, Democracy and Justice”.

Prosecutor Sylla Hoxha from the Kosovo Special Prosecutor's Office is in charge of Ivanovic's case. He told Radio Free Europe, the institutions responsible are in the testing collection phase.

The prosecution, Hoxha stressed, will soon compile a request with some questions which it will lead to authorities responsible in Serbia. The Kosovo side, he says, has will and is ready for bilateral co-operation with Serbia for the dawn of the Ivanovic case.

“So far we are not satisfied with co-operation with the official Belgrade authorities. They have responded in part to certain necessary requirements. So they haven't provided us with the right information that we know they have”, Hoxha said.

“But we are in the application of the procedure code and we will go to procedures in a row, while what they bring us (Serbia) will remain their case”, prosecutor Hoxha said.

A few days after Ivanovic's murder, the Ministry of Justice in the Government of Kosovo had sent four requests to the Government of Serbia.

But, the Serbian side's answers, according to prosecutor Hoxha, have returned incomplete.

But, even authorities in Serbia have asked Pristina for exchange of information about the investigation. However, the requirements in both addresses eventually turned out to be more mutual guilty than in co-operation.

The Civic Initiative “Liberty, Democracy and Justice”, through a statement to the media, says that after nine months of Ivanovic's murder, Pristina and Belgrade authorities have only accused and declarations, while the international community is silent.

This initiative is also called to the authorities in Serbia, which say they do not have important information that would lead to the whiteening of the case.

The same is said about the investigation in Pristina, which has not yet come up with an investigation that would help capture the chief or chief of this crime.

Prosecutor Sylla Hoxha, says Kosovo's responsible institutions are located and very interested in clarifying this case.

“We are very determined to clarify the case that together with the police investigators of the case and we are waiting for the results”, he said.

Oliver Ivanov was a citizen of Kosovo, but he also had Serbia's citizenship, so it was warned that investigations include sharing information between Pristina and Belgrade.