Serb pleads not guilty to US embassy fire

The economics student stands accused of breaking into the Belgrade embassy on February 21, 2008, with a group and destroying property.

A Serbian student pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to starting a fatal fire at the US embassy in Belgrade during violent protests against Kosovan independence, Beta news agency reported.

Milan Zivanovic said he was whipped into a patriotic frenzy at a rally against Kosovo's independence from Serbia in 2008 and did not deny going to the embassy as riots erupted in the capital.

But he said he was too drunk to remember what had happened when he got to the building.

The economics student stands accused of breaking into the Belgrade embassy on February 21, 2008, with a group and destroying property.

The group is then alleged to have started the blaze, which killed a Serb demonstrator. No other suspects have been identified in the case.

Zivanovic is charged with being a risk to public order and faces up to 12 years in prison if found guilty.

The student said he had attended a rally organised by the then nationalist government, where he said spectators were whipped into a patriotic frenzy.

- Inspired by patriotism we went to the embassy where there were already protests but no police - Beta quoted him as telling the court.

But the student told the court he could hardly remember what happened there as he was under the influence of alcohol.

The court ordered an expert opinion to be provided on whether being under the influence of alcohol had affected the defendant's ability to remember what he had done.

Kosovo has been recognised by 62 countries since its declaration of independence, including the United States and most European Union members. Serbia, backed by Russia, opposes Kosovo's independence.