A protest was held in Kosovska Mitrovica on Friday with demands for an immediate release of Kosovo Serb Jovica Miljkovic.

An appeal was sent for an end to unfair pressure against the Serbs, arrests and ethnically motivated actions.

Vladimir Rakic, head of the public utility Vodovod Ibar, where Miljkovic works, said the company would not cooperate with the Kosovo institutions and international representatives until Miljkovic was freed.

Member of the Kosovska Mitrovica municipal council and head of the UNMIK municipality advisory body Nebojsa Minic said Miljkovic's arrest was political and lacking any legal arguments and evidence. "Miljkovic's arrest is a message to all Serbs that they are not welcome in Kosovo."

Member of the Kosovska Mitrovica municipal council Bogdan Spadijer said the Kosovo authorities wanted to use Miljkovic's arrest to drive out the remaining Serbs out of the village Suvi Do in northern Kosovo, but also to put an end to the UNMIK administration. The protests will continue until Miljkovic is freed.

Jovica Miljkovic, suspected of participating in a group who damaged a guard house the Kosovo police intended to set up in northern Kosovska Mitrovica one month ago, was imposed a 48-hour police custody.

On April 9, after the murder of Kosovo Albanian Seljver Haradinaj, Kosovo Serbs prevented the Kosovo police from setting up several guard houses in the part of Kosovska Mitrovica called Tri solitera and demolished one of the houses. Haradinaj was killed by a bomb planted under a window of his apartment. Two of his children were injured. The police increased their presence in the area following the incident.

Miljkovic was arrested in Suvi Do on Thursday morning. The local Serbs blocked the road leading to the village in protest. Following the arrest, Serbs gathered outside the municipal headquarters in northern Kosovska Mitrovica.