Serbian Justice Ministry: Artan Zymber refused to be treated for a disease

Media in Kosovo in recent days have reported that family members of the deceased have voiced doubts that Zymber, 28, may have been killed because of several tattoos on the body, such as those with the image of Adam Jashar ʹ killed by Serb forces during the 1998 war in Kosovo by the eagle and the Kosovo Liberation Army.

Serbia's Justice Ministry announced that on February 3rd of this year, Zymber was serving a prison sentence in Sremska Mitrovica, with the duration of three years and eight months, for criminal work -- the unauthorised production and distribution of narcotics.

He had earlier been pronounced detention measures, as was Sremska Mitrovica, where he was since April 29, 2021.

It is not clear how he came to his arrest in Serbia.

The Serbian ministry said that when Zymber was taken into custody, he has declared he is being treated by a “specific kind of disease”, but she said he cannot specify more because of the Law for Personal Data and Protection and the Law for Health Care.

The ministry also said that Zymber did not have medical documentation with him, but that he was checked several times by the doctor and that, based on his condition, he received adequate therapy.

The Serbian ministry said it had “full medical care” and “regular control”.

According to her, Zymber, during his sentence, was referred to several times at a special prison hospital in Belgrade.

He told them that he refused treatment and food on several occasions.

For the last time, he has stayed at this special hospital from July 28th to September 17th of this year.

After this period, he returned to prison in Sremska Mitrovica with instructions for further therapy and treatment, which the staunchly condemned “ky refused”.

The convict has been discussed several times that by refusing therapy, deliberately endangers health”, the Serbian Justice Ministry's statement awarded Radio Free Europe.

According to her, the doctor recorded Zymber's death on November 27th at 7:15, on his bed in Sremska Mitrovica prison.

Norway's Ministry of Foreign Affairs disclosed about REL reportedly has been announced for Zymber's death at the prison in Serbia, but added that “for any questions about the circumstances of death should be addressed to Serbian authorities”.

Kosovo's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora told the REL that it has requested information concerning the circumstances of Zymber's death from Serbia's Interconnecting Office in Kosovo.

“So far we have not been offered any information, with which the” case confirms, the MPJD said.

In this case, according to the Serbian Ministry of Justice, Serbian police were announced, which have conducted an investigation and announced the High Public Prosecutor in Sremska Mitrovica.

The latter ordered that the body become autopsy at the Law Medicine Institute in Novi Sad. The autopsy findings surrendered to the prosecutor, but, currently, are not clear to the public.

Legal representatives, as well as Norway's Kingdom Embassy in Serbia, were informed of Zymber's death. The family took its body on December 6th, according to the Serbian Ministry of Justice.

The deceased's family said they were not allowed to meet or contact Zymber. But, the Serbian Ministry said it dismissed all the lies spread by individuals through social networks in this case”.

Representatives of the Norwegian Embassy in Belgrade are said to have visited Zymber. She addressed prison in Sremska Mitrovica to offer psycho-social support, as Zymber refused to communicate with the institution's employees, nor with the doctor or others.