An urgent submission has been made to the United Nations Committee Against Torture regarding the alleged kidnap and torture of Serbian opposition politician Nikola Sadulovic after he paid respects at the grave of a Kosovo Albanian war hero in early January, while the EU remains silent on the matter.
The case was filed by Justice Abroad’s Michael Polak and Sandulovic’s lawyer, Cedomir Stojkovic.
Sandulovic posted on X that he visited the grave of Adem Jashari, a founder of the Kosovo Liberation Army who was killed by Serbian police in 1998 along with 57 members of his family, including women and children. He asked for forgiveness from the family, laid a wreath, and apologised on behalf of Serbia.
On 3 January, the family reported that a black van appeared in front of the house, and members of the Serbian Security Information Agency (BIA) exited and seized Sandulovic, taking them to their headquarters. It is there he was allegedly subject to severe physical attacks by multiple individuals, “amounting to torture”.
Then, he was taken to the military hospital in Belgrade after being brought home by Ambulance. He suffered a broken rib and is reportedly paralysed on one side of his body, including his hand.
On 4 January, he was seized again and is being held at Belgrade Central Prison with no access to independent medical treatment. It is understood he will face trial for causing or inciting “national, racial, or religious hatred or intolerance among peoples or ethnic communities living in Serbia”.
His legal team say that a prosecution under this law seems unlikely due to apparent conflicts with the European Convention on Human Rights, which protects freedom of expression.
On 6 January, at a court hearing, Sandulovic’s defence counsel said that laying a flower on a family’s grave could not be a criminal office. Judge Milica Grujic replied, “I am ordering a 30-day detention for Sandulovic because he laid flowers on the grave of an Albanian child.”
“The United Nations Committee Against Torture submission requests urgent measures ordering that the torture against Mr Sandulović is stopped, that he is released to a civilian hospital for treatment, that evidence regarding Mr Sandulović’s torture is obtained and retained, that an immediate investigation takes place into the torture of Mr Sandulović, that protection is provided to Mr Sandulović from future torture, and that the politically motivated charges against Mr Sandulović are dropped,” the submission reads.
UK Member of Parliament Alicia Kearns tweeted her grave concern for the health and safety of Sandulovic after “Reports he was brutalised by Serbian intelligence.”
“The many irregularities observed in the Serbian election resulted in only the mildest expressions of passing concern from the UK, US, and EU.”
Former intelligence chief sanctioned by the US for corruption and destabilising activities, Aleksander Vuiin, admitted to ordering his arrest but skirted any mention of the violence inflicted on him.
“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 being unable to do more,” he added.
Sandulovic’s lawyer, Cedomir Stojkovic, disputed Vulin’s statement and claimed he is taking the hit for Serbian President Aleksander Vucic.
“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,” he said.
Vucic has yet to comment on the allegations or incident.
Contacted by Euractiv, the European Commission did not reply by time of publication.
(Alice Taylor | Euractiv.com)
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