I regularly visit the prison in Kosovska Mitrovica where Serbs from Orahovac who are accused of very serious crimes are being held. International standards are applied there and none of the prisoners has complained about the treatment or the conditions. The problem is that some of the investigations were conducted without the presence of international investigators and investigating judges. In all such cases, additional investigations are carried out and results have been forthcoming. Charges have been dropped in several cases and there are indications that eleven Serbs who were imprisoned in August last year will be released shortly.
International judges sit on all the trial panels, which ensures high standards and impartiality.
A number of non-governmental organizations have been thoroughly scrutinized by the State Security, Economic Crime Division and financial police. This is just part of the Serbian authorities' strategy to retain political power. The main targets are Otpor activists and political parties, journalists and non-governmental organizations. After the NATO intervention, the government celebrated its purported victory against the aggressor while the opposition came out with clear demands for replacement through elections of a government which has in the past ten years produced nothing but wars. The regime therefore started to create conditions for the intimidation of its political opponents and the means it resorted to included pressures on the media, fines, prohibition of their work, takeovers.