Miladin “Minja” Kovacevic, the former Binghamton University men’s basketball player accused of beating a fellow student into a coma last May, was arrested in Serbia this week.
After receiving documents from the United States on Oct. 10, Serbian officials took the 21-year-old into custody on Tuesday in Belgrade on suspicion that he “inflicted life-threatening bodily harm” on Bryan Steinhauer during a beating at The Rathskeller Pub on State Street.
A judge sentenced the ex-BU student to at least 30 days in jail, which his lawyers are appealing, while a formal investigation is conducted. Serbian law allows the judge 48 hours to consider the appeal.
Using an emergency passport he received through the Serbian consulate office, Kovacevic fled the United States on June 9 — three days after posting $100,000 bail following a four-week stint in jail.
Since then, U.S. officials have urged Serbian authorities to extradite Kovacevic for a trial on assault charges, but the latter has argued that Serbian law does not allow for extradition.
In late July, officials threatened Serbia with a deadline to return the fugitive. When the country failed to meet the deadline U.S. Sen. Charles E. Schumer declared the beginning stages of plans to cut foreign aid to the country.
This month U.S. documents were sent to Serbian prosecutors, after almost five months of tense back and forth between the two countries.
Steinhauer, 22, weighed about 130 pounds and was a senior at BU at the time of the attack, while Kovacevic is 6-foot-9, 260 pounds and was a sophomore.
During a press conference in late July, Richard and Marlene Steinhauer said that their son was slowly emerging from his coma and was beginning to recognize family and friends.
Kovacevic was spotted in August training with a Serbian basketball club where he had reportedly signed.
According to reports from the Daily News, the Steinhauers released a statement earlier this week acknowledging that “justice is taking its course,” but would not comment on Bryan Steinhauer’s condition.
“Our primary concern at this time continues to be with Bryan Steinhauer, his family and friends,” University spokeswoman Gail Glover said. “The Dean of Students continues to be in regular contact with the family.”
In a statement released Tuesday, Schumer said that while some progress has been made with Kovacevic’s arrest, U.S. officials will continue to pursue the case.
“This is a critical step forward in our efforts and I want to thank the Serbian government for taking this action,” he stated. “It is far better to have Kovacevic detained than on the basketball court, and now we must work to ensure that he is returned to the United States as soon as possible to face justice.”
U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton’s office also put out a press notice warning that U.S. involvement is not over.
“This arrest should be a wake-up call for Mr. Kovacevic and for anybody complicit in his flight from justice,” she stated. “Earlier this year the Serbian Foreign Minister pledged to me that his government was willing to work to resolve this matter, and while Mr. Kovacevic’s arrest is a step in the right direction, we must continue to work together to ensure that he returns to the U.S. to face prosecution.”
— Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.