The family of businessman Nick Djivanovic are pleading for the European Union’s help in securing his release from a Serbian prison, where he has been incarcerated for 18 months without a trial.

The 50-year-old Trowbridge man was arrested and charged with ‘abuse of power’ under an old article of law dating back to the days of Marshal Tito’s communist regime in Yugoslavia.

His estranged wife Celia and their daughters Isabel, 20, and Alex, 22, are not allowed to speak to or visit Mr Djivanovic and can only communicate by writing letters. He has described conditions in the Belgrade jail as ‘dire’ with poor quality food and freezing temperatures in winter.

Mr Djivanovic’s daughter Alex, a photography student in London, wept as she spoke about wanting to see her father again.

She said: “When he was first put in there he wrote me a letter to say that if he could survive the English boarding school system he could survive anything.

“But now he doesn’t like to talk about it. It’s as if he feels he is losing his fight.

“This has really affected us all. We just want it to be over.”

Mrs Djivanovic, who now lives near Crockerton, said: “It is very upsetting for both my daughters, who have not seen their father for nearly two years.

“Although we may have separated my daughters are very close to him and we all want to see him released after all this time.”

He was charged using a law that Serbia itself has said it will abolish in a bid to join the European Union.

His wife flew out to Strasbourg on Wednesday to meet South West of England MEP Sir Graham Watson who is putting pressure on Serbia at a European level. South West Wiltshire MP Dr Andrew Murrison has also spoken in Parliament about the case.

Mr Watson said: “We have to put as much pressure on Serbia from as many sources as possible.

“They cannot join the EU with this law on their statute books.”

Dr Murrison added: “This article of law is a hangover from the days of Tito.

“They are depriving my constituent of his liberty and failing to give him access to a trial in a reasonable time.”

Branimir Filipovic, minister counsellor for Serbia to the UK, said: “Officers did visit him in jail and he did not raise any allegations of mistreatment.

“Probably the conditions can be better but he is experiencing the same treatment as everyone else.

“I am hopeful the trial will be soon.It is clearly a delicate issue but it is legitimate procedure that is being followed.

If found guilty, the crime comes with a sentence of up to five years imprisonment.

Around 800 people are thought to be behind bars, without any prospect of a trial soon, facing similar charges.

Mr Djivanovic is believed to be the only British citizen among them.