Rakic: We informed president of situation on ground

BELGRADE - Srpska lista leader Goran Rakic said on Monday representatives of Kosovo-Metohija Serbs had informed Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic of the situation on the ground and the problems facing Serbs in the province.

They asked Vucic to use his authority to ensure the soonest possible release of two arrested Serb protesters, Rados Petrovic and Dusan Obrenovic.

Speaking to reporters after a Belgrade meeting with Vucic, Rakic said the president had been shown footage proving that the two had posed no threat to Kfor soldiers.

He said the representatives had also told Vucic the situation had escalated following a raid by Pristina's ROSU units.

"It is important that we have brought footage showing clearly that the arrestees, Petrovic and Obrenovic, were not involved (in clashes) and posed no threat to Kfor soldiers. The footage shows them offering passive resistance," Rakic said.

He said they had asked Vucic and the head of the Serbian government Office for Kosovo-Metohija Petar Petkovic to use their authority with international representatives to ensure the soonest possible release of the two men.

"We asked the president to help end the persecution of Serbs in the north of Kosovo-Metohija who took part in protests this year and last year," Rakic said.

He said the representatives had reiterated that the Serbs were ready for compromise but that there was no such readiness in Pristina.

"We reiterated the requests we have presented to Lajcak and Escobar: that a Community of Serb Municipalities must be formed as soon as possible and that Pristina, Belgrade and the EU must adopt its statute," Rakic said.