Serb arrested in K Mitrovica brutally beaten up by Pristina's police - attorney

KOSOVSKA MITROVICA - The attorney of a young Serb man arrested by the so-called Kosovo Police in northern Kosovska Mitrovica last night said his client had had no physical contact with any officer and had been brutally beaten up during the arrest.

Attorney Milos Delevic said he would seek accountability for such treatment of his client, Rastko Nedeljkovic.

"Allegedly, he was arrested for attacking an officer. However, he is denying that such an attack has taken place. He had no physical contact with anyone, let alone police officers," Delevic said.

He said Nedeljkovic had been brutally beaten up both during the arrest and at a police station.

"It was a case of physical and psychological abuse by the police. He was slapped in the face several times. He said he was hit in the genital area two or three times. He said that he cried and asked for help and that, after hours of pleas, he was taken to hospital for an examination to ascertain those injuries. We will seek accountability of police officers for such conduct," Delevic told Tanjug.

Four young Serb men were arrested in northern Kosovska Mitrovica around midnight last night and placed in custody for up to 48 hours on charges of allegedly attacking an "officer on duty."