Suspended sentences for setting fire to U.S. Embassy

The Higher Court in Belgrade sentenced Wednesday to suspended prison terms of five to 10 months nine people accused of setting fire to the U.S. Embassy in Belgrade in 2008, after a protest rally dubbed "Kosovo is Serbia", while two persons have been cleared of charges

The suspended sentences will not be executed unless these persons commit a new criminal offense in the next two to three years.

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The offenders were acquitted of the assault on the Croatian and German embassy, because, according to the judge, the prosecution did not submit sufficient evidence.

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The prosecution and the sentenced can appeal the judgment before the Court of Appeal in Belgrade. The court accepted the defense's motion to extend the deadline for lodging an appeal from 15 to 30 days.

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The reasoning behind the judgment reads the persons are guilty of coming to the U.S. Embassy in an organized fashion and throwing stones, torches and other objects at the building at around 6:30 p.m. on February 21, 2008, thus causing fire in which one of the protesters, Zoran Vujovic, died.

The incidents took place following a protest against Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence that was staged under the motto "Kosovo is Serbia", involving around 600,000 people from all parts of the country.

The High Prosecutor's Office raised the indictment on July 10, 2012, after which all defendants were released pending trial after their detention was suspended.

(Telegraf.co.uk/ Tanjug)