Petkovic: We demand urgent release of two protesters

BELGRADE - The head of the Serbian government Office for Kosovo-Metohija Petar Petkovic demanded on Tuesday that the international community urgently release two protesters arrested in Zvecan on Monday.

In a statement, Petkovic said Dusan Obrenovic and Rados Petrovic had been protesting peacefully without committing any offence.

"I want to inform the public that Dusan Obrenovic, as we have heard from his lawyer, was brutally beaten up during his arrest, as well as during the evening and during the night," Petkovic said, adding that the arrestees were being held in the southern part of Kosovska Mitrovica.

He said the extent of the brutality used by Pristina's police against Obrenovic had been in retaliation for his conversion to Orthodox Christianity in 2016.

Petkovic also said Kfor had promised to release four arrested Serbs but had instead released only two of them.

"They lied and did not release the other two. We demand that they urgently release both Dusan and Rados, especially as Dusan is now in a very poor condition. We also demand an urgent surgery for him because he has cuts all over his body and probably also has internal bleeding and hematoma on his head, and is unable to stand on his feet," Petkovic noted.

He added that Obrenovic had been beaten beyond recognition and that his life was in danger as a result of the brutality.