The Kosovo Police has rejected allegations by the Serb List that its officers physically assaulted a Serb citizen in northern Kosovo, while confirming that the case is now being investigated by the Kosovo Police Inspectorate (IPK).
Lieutenant Erduan Baliqi said the police had no information confirming that force had been used against the man, identified in several reports as Nenad Raskoviq. The allegations were published by Serbian media and promoted by Serbian political figures, including the Serb List.
Speaking to KosovaPress, Baliqi said police were informed Tuesday evening that a person had sought medical assistance at the Regional Hospital in Mitrovica.
“We do not have information that force was used against any person,” Baliqi said, adding that relevant police units went to the scene and that the Police Inspectorate was immediately notified after the allegations became public.
“The Kosovo Police Inspectorate will conduct an investigation regarding the claims made by the individual,” he said.
Baliqi also confirmed that Kosovo Police units had conducted operations in northern Kosovo, explaining that police regularly receive information about weapons allegedly being hidden at different locations.
“We are obliged to verify such information and we do not neglect reports that weapons may be located in different areas,” he said.
In recent days, Kosovo Police have carried out operations in the Zubin Potok area during which weapons have reportedly been discovered and seized at several locations.
According to Serbian media reports, Raskoviq alleged that police had demanded a weapon from him without legal grounds and that he had subsequently been assaulted. Police operations in the area, however, were reportedly based on information concerning possible hidden or undeclared weapons.
Unconfirmed claims have also linked the case to allegations concerning weapons allegedly dating from the 1998–1999 Kosovo war, although no official finding has established such a connection.
The allegations emerged as excavations continue in the Kalludër area of Zubin Potok as part of investigations into suspected mass graves containing the remains of people killed during the Kosovo war.
The recent police operations and the allegations surrounding Raskoviq have therefore become part of heightened political and security tensions in northern Kosovo.
At this stage, there is no official finding either confirming or disproving the allegation that Kosovo Police officers used physical force against Raskoviq.
The investigation by the Kosovo Police Inspectorate is expected to establish the circumstances of the incident and determine whether excessive or unlawful force was used during the police operation.
