Serbia’s US-sanctioned former intelligence chief Aleksander Vulin, who resigned as head of Serbia’s Security and Information Agency (BIA) two months ago, has claimed responsibility for ordering the arrest of opposition leader Nikola Sandulovic, without commenting on his brutal beating in custody, which has reportedly left him paralysed.
Sandulovic, the leader of the opposition Republican Party, posted a video online of himself paying tribute to Adem Jashari, a founder of the Kosovo Liberation Army who was killed by Serbian police in Prekaz, Kosovo, in 1998 along with 57 members of his family, including women and children.
He had attended the cemetery where Jashari and his family were buried and asked for forgiveness for the crimes committed by the Serbian state.
His daughter Klara told the media that shortly after making the post, BIA agents entered their house and took him out to “question him”.
He was then “kidnapped” and held at the BIA offices, where his wife said he was beaten by some 15 men, among whom he recognised Milan Radojcic and three others involved in the EU-dubbed terrorist attack in Banjska, Kosova, in September.
Radojcic was the former deputy head of the Kosovo Serb political party Serb List who admitted to organising the Banskja attack and has been hiding out in Serbia despite an Interpol arrest warrant.
Sandulovic was then sent to Belgrade Military Hospital in an unconscious state for a few hours before being returned to his family.
Video footage shows him in a non-responsive state with significant bruising and marks on his face and body. His family reported suspected neurological damage with his right hand completely paralysed and him behaving in a disorientated manner.
Vulin claimed he issued an arrest warrant for Sandulovic on his order that remained valid despite his resignation.
“Sandulović was detained according to my order, which remained in force even after my resignation. He was detained on suspicion of undermining the constitutional order and actively working to support the secession of so-called Kosovo,” he told Novosti.
He added that if Sandulovic had laid a wreath on the grave of Himmler, the Mossad would have killed him.
“Laying a wreath on the grave of the Serb murderer Adem Jashari, Sandulovic was only detained by my order and the order of the prosecutor. I apologise to Serbia for not being able to do more,” he added, not acknowledging the serious injuries reported by the politician’s family.
Sandulovic’s lawyer, Cedomir Stojkovic, disputed Vulin’s statement and claimed he is taking the hit for Serbian President Aleksander Vucic.
“Vulin didn’t order the arrest because he couldn’t even order it – because Aleksandar Vucic told him to resign two months before Sandulovic posted on the social network X about placing flowers on the graves of Albanians. This is an agreed statement between Aleksandar Vucic and Aleksandar Vulin because Vulin’s political career in Serbia has ended in agreement with Vucic, and now he can (falsely) take responsibility for everything that causes international damage to Aleksandar’s regime. Vucic,” Stojkovic wrote on X.
Kosovo’s Prime Minister, Albin Kurti, also commented on the incident in a statement on X.
“Deeply concerned about reports that Serbian opposition leader Nikola Sandulović has been paralysed due to severe beatings by the Serbian secret service. This follows his apology for the crimes committed by Serbia during the genocidal campaign in Kosovo”, Kurti wrote.
Kurti says that the attack on Sandulovic is similar to the attacks made on political opponents by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“This unspeakable brutality represents the bill the Serbian government puts on its citizens for the courage to accept the truth and pursue reconciliation. It also constitutes a serious violation of the European Convention on Human Rights, an attack similar to Putin’s on those who refuse to participate in genocide denial,” Kurti wrote.
The international community, including the European Commission, has been silent on the attack despite growing calls for a reaction.
Vucic and other Serbian institutions are also yet to publicly comment on the claims or the arrest and assault.
(Alice Taylor | Euractiv.com)
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Source: euractiv.com
