Serbs block court in Kosovska Mitrovica
Kosovo Serbs blocked the entrance to the Municipal Court in northern Kosovska Mitrovica around 7:00 a.m. CET on Thursday, since today the court was scheduled to deliver a verdict in the case of six Serbs accused of rioting in March 2008.
(kosovocompromisestuff) Thursday, March 28, 2013
Strong EULEX forces, which arrived in front of the court before 7:00, were prevented from entering the building, shortly after which they left.
Sirens were sounded in the city as a call for the citizens to gather, and the Serbs blocked both entrances to the Municipal Court with heavy machines, one excavator and several trucks.
The citizens are still gathered in front of the court, including municipal officials and Kosovska Mitrovica District Head Radenko Nedeljkovic.
The six Serbs are accused of more than 20 crimes committed during the March 2008 riots.
They are accused of illegally occupying the court in northern Kosovska Mitrovica, calling for resistance, preventing officers from performing their duty, participation in a group that committed crimes and endangering UN and associate staff, as well as causing damage to movable property, inciting national, racial, religious and ethnic hatred.
The court was closed after the international forces clashed with Kosovo Serbs during the riots.
In the incidents that followed, a Ukrainian police officer was killed, while 64 UNMIK and 24 KFOR troops and about a hundred Serb protesters were injured.
