Dačić’s shameful revenge

A friend of Hasan Abazi, an Albanian labor unionist arrested in Serbia March 28, has provided the following update:

After 13 days in prison, the ILLEGAL detention of Hasan Abazi continues without word from the Serbian government regarding the case other than obtuse and inflammatory statements made in the media by [Interior] Minister Dačić regarding his intention to “continue arresting Albanians”.

Procedural regulations that have been violated:

  • Mr. Abazi was unlawfully detained for 53 hours before being brought before a judge—Serbian law dictates that within 48 hours a person needs to be either brought to court or released
  • He was arrested without him or his attorney being given his charges for 53 hours while Serbian law dictates that it must be done within 12 hours
  • He was denied access to a lawyer and to his family for 53 hours
  • Mr. Abazi’s prison term was extended for 30 more days even though no evidence or witnesses have been presented
  • The appeal filed by Mr. Abazi’s attorney has yet to be reviewed one week later, even though court practice dictates it should be done within 3 days
  • Mr. Abazi’s attorney is still being denied access to his client’s full file with no explanation as to why
  • According to the decision extending his detention, Mr. Abazi is being held on the basis that there is danger of his escape due to his “permanent place of residence” (i.e. Kosovo). The same document calls for the interrogation of other witnesses, namely Kosovo Albanians, and does not take into account the same fact use against Mr. Abazi—that they too reside outside of Serbia, namely in Kosovo.

Mr. Abazi is being charged for alleged crimes committed in 1999 under Milosevic-era laws and based on witness statements taken during the war when Milosevic’s structures were in charge of interrogation. The indictment was abolished after the democratic transition in Serbia but for unknown reasons it was renewed in 2005 by a prosecution that no longer exists and did not even have jurisdiction over Kosovo at that time.

Mr. Abazi is a TRADE UNION LEADER. He has never been affiliated with any militant or armed groups such as the KLA. It is shameful that the government of Serbia would blatantly exploit this case for pre-election vote-mongering. It is incumbent upon EU officials, as stewards of Serbia’s EU candidacy process, that they immediately demand Mr. Abazi’s release in accordance with Serbian and international laws.

PS:  If anyone asks, yes I would publish a similar plea concerning the arrest of Serbs in Kosovo, who however I understand to have been released some days ago. 

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4 thoughts on “Dačić’s shameful revenge”

  1. From B92 articles at the time of the arrest:

    Mar 29 – ‘As they treat us, we will treat them. After all I’m not a religious fanatic to turn the other cheek – he who strikes shall receive his answer,” Dačić said. ‘ http://www.b92.rs/eng/news/comments.php?mm=3&dd=29&yyyy=2012

    Mar 31 – ‘ “He was remanded in custody based on Gnjilane District Court’s decision from 2005,” he [his lawyer, Mladen Vasić] explained and added that his client was suspected of espionage.

    The envisaged penalty for the crime is at least ten years in prison.

    Kosovo media have reported that “Abazi was allegedly revealing classified information to NATO in 1999”. His lawyer has announced that he will file an appeal to the Court of Appeals in Niš on Monday. ‘ http://www.b92.rs/eng/news/crimes-article.php?yyyy=2012&mm=03&dd=31&nav_id=79545

    Even if Abazi is as innocent of the charges as my brand-new nephew, that doesn’t mean he won’t face significant time in detention. The “Gnjilane Nine” who were accused of horribly torturing and murdering hundreds of Serbs after the war – with over 150 persons who claimed to have been tortured and then released available to serve as witnesses – had their convictions thrown out on appeal. Their retrial was set to start on March 28.

  2. This is such a travesty. I was in Kosova at the time, we were actually crossing the border with Serbia. fortunately not detained or arrested by those creeps (dacic!) If there’s anything we can do to help, please let us know. Message me on FB, or post on my wall. Thanks Daniel. Hope and pray that Mr. Abazi will be ok and released ASAP, and that Dacic and company will be condemned by the international community (so called.)

    Best, Robert L Rope

    Everyone: check us out on FB:

    http://www.facebook.com/groups/PAQEhumanrights/

  3. I keep telling myself that EU policymakers are fully aware of the tremendous gap that still exists between European values and the Serbian mindset, but see no tactical advantage in publicly articulating their skepticism about Serbia’s prospects for EU entry anytime before, say, 2025. Am I being delusional here?

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