Supreme rejects request from Republika Srpska MP Recak's deniers for exemption

The former Minister of Administration and Local Power (MAPL), currently deputy in the Republic of Kosovo Assembly from the ranks of the Serbian List, Ivan Todosijevic, has been rejected for the expulsion of the Court of Appeals' college in his case.

He had been sentenced to two years in prison by the first instance, after being convicted of statements he had made about Albanians and the Recak massacre, reports “Justice Vow”.

News of the denial of request in question for “Justice Vow” has confirmed the chairman of the Appeals Court, Hasan Shala.

Ivan Todosijevic through his defender, lawyer Nebojsa Vlajiq, in April of this year had demanded the exemption of the College of Court of Appeals Judges, respectively.

Under these circumstances, the initial session was held at the Court of Appeals on April 28, 2021, until the chairman of this court decided on the request in question, which has already been rejected.

Regarding the procedure's performance until the rejection of this request from the chairman of Appeals and other requests of Todosijevic's defence, “Justice Vow” has also been informed by the Supreme Court.

This court's spokeswoman, Antigona Uka, has indicated that the defendant's defender has sought the exemption of college judges.

Because in the complaint-resented trial it has been found that the defendant has damaged the feelings of all the Albanian people, and since they are all Albanians in college, the judges are injured, (according to the code it has been determined that when a judge is injured he cannot judge that case)”, it is said to have been the reasoning of Todosoevic's defender.

In addition, this answer is said that because regarding the request for the expulsion of judges, the president of the Court of Appeals, who is Albanian national, the defender has also sought his exemption and the president of the Supreme Court, who decides on the exemption of the Court of Appeals chairman.

“So, for the accepted request in the Supreme Court regarding the exemption of Supreme Court President, the College headed by the Supreme Court's deputy president, at the college session held on June 2, 2021, with the PN ruling. II.nr.8/2021 has filed this request as unacceptable”, said further in response.

spokeswoman Uka has indicated that, after this decision, Supreme Court Chairman Enver Peci, with the GJA ruling.N.117/2021, has dismissed the defendant's request, lawyer Nebojsa Vlajić, as being expelled from Court of Appeals.

The hearing at the Court of Appeals in this case is expected to be held on 24 June, reports “The Battle for Justice”.

Otherwise, Todojvik was sentenced from the first instance on December 5, 2019, for the criminal act “inciting hatred, division or national, racial, religious or ethnic patience”.

He was minister of the Ministry of Management of Local Power (MAPL), in the Government of Kosovo, from the ranks of the Serbian List, which was in co-governance with the PDK, AAK, the Social Democrat Initiative and the AKR.

Former Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj, in April 2019, had dismissed him from his post, following the statement he had issued regarding the Recak massacre.

According to the indictment, established on June 28, 2019, the defendant in the quality of the Ministry of Administration and Local Power, misuse of his position or authorisation, has deliberately rushed and spread hatred, division and patience among national, racial and ethnic groups living in the Republic of Kosovo.

According to the indictment, on March 24, 2019, on the “Cralj Milutin” street in Zvecan, in the quality of participants and speakers at the civic rally against NATO intervention, in 1999 in Kosovo, the so-called “memory of the victims of NATO's “bombings, says that “Aresy about aggression in our country has been the so-called humanitarian disaster in Kosovo and Metohija... Recak's massacre was fiction... It's Albanian terrorists who faked all this and committed the biggest crimes in Kosovo and Metohija... To this day, no one has claimed responsibility... they have committed crimes before NATO aggression, they have killed good Serbian households and policemen in their workplace... their drinking blood has continued even during aggression... even after the arrival of the so-called peaceful mission in Kosovo and Metohija”, actions that could disrupt public order or cause more serious consequences in the Republic of Kosovo.