All charged with the Iber-Lepenc bombing declared innocent

Kosovo's special prosecutor pressed charges against the brothers Viqjjetevic and Dimovic for criminal acts: “the threat of constitutional order through destruction or damage to public installations and equipment” and “the implementation of the terrorist act”.

The two indictees -- Dragisa and Jovan Viqjjetevic -- are in custody since the arrest, shortly after the November 29th outbreak of 2024, while Dimovic is protected from freedom.

Otherwise, the preliminary hearing was postponed for the first time on December 24th of last year, as the defendants' defence lawyers demanded prosecutor Bekim Codraliu's expulsion, claiming he was partial.

The court rejected the request, and Kodraliu remained a prosecutor.

Jovan and Dragisa Viqjjetevic are suspected that on November 29, 2024, at around 18:50, along with several other still unknown persons, they placed about 20kg of explosives for military use (TNT) within the Iber Lepenc channel, “a rope-related bag on a concrete pole”, positioning “to cause serious damage to the critical water supply and electricity infrastructure”.

The material damage was estimated at around 400,000 euros.

According to the indictment, during raids on their homes one in Zubin Potok and one in the village of Prevullak of the same municipality Kosovo police found and seized a considerable amount of war weapons.

The indictment also states that Jovan Vifjjetevic, as a draft member of Serbia's Military Information Service, <x0veprotion and helped this service, collecting confidential information and documents to be used in his illegal activities on Kosovo territory” and” “to hand over those data to meetings in Serbia<4>.

At the home of the third defendant, Igor Dimovic, police found three rounds, a bullet, a knife and several military uniforms, which were seized.

The prosecution also presented as proof of the geology expertise report by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on earth samples on boots taken at the Viqejev brothers' home.

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti has said earlier that intelligence data shows that the three accused of the explosion in the Iber-Lepenc channel have been closely linked to Serbian state structures.

Official Belgrade has denied any connection to the explosion.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vuciq has earlier said there is some information about who the author might be, but has not provided more details.

He has expressed Belgrade's readiness to co-operate in conducting the investigation with all international organisations and institutions.

After the blast, Belgrade's chief public prosecutor, Nenad Stefanovic, has said he expects a <x0 comprehensive investigation to determine the truth and all relevant facts”.

However, it is still not known whether Serbian judicial authorities have started any investigation. /rel/