Serbian authorities issued an arrest warrant on Saturday for a Kosovo Police officer in connection with an incident that took place a day earlier in North Kosovo, a predominantly Serb-populated area.
The news was announced by Serbia’s Minister of Internal Affairs, Ivica Dačić.
Dačić stated in a release that “Kosovo police officer Dylot Brahimi will be arrested as soon as he is accessible to Serbian police, without limitation of time, whenever possible.”
Serbia does not have jurisdiction in Kosovo, as Kosovo declared independence in 2008 and is recognized by over 100 countries worldwide.
The incident in North Mitrovica on May 23 triggered widespread reactions, mainly regarding the response of a Kosovo Police officer who was present nearby.
The officer was criticized for acting “selectively” and for using “excessive force” when stopping a Kosovo Serb high school graduate during a graduation celebration in North Mitrovica. The young man was stopped because, it is said, he provoked people in a nearby café.
Kosovo Police for the northern region announced on May 23 that the Serbian high school graduates’ parade in the center of North Mitrovica ended “calmly and without any problems.”
However, the police statement said that intervention was necessary due to some provocations, but the situation was calmed and the celebration continued.
The police did not specify who was provoking whom or how.
Social media footage shows a high school graduate during the parade making a middle finger gesture toward a café, while someone inside the café reportedly made the double-headed eagle hand symbol — a symbol from the Albanian national flag.
The head of the EU Rule of Law Mission (EULEX), Giovanni Pietro Barbano, reacted to the incident, saying he was “deeply shocked” and condemned “the excessive use of force by the Kosovo police officer against the youth in North Mitrovica.”
On the other hand, Kosovo’s acting Minister of Internal Affairs, Xhelal Sveçla, emphasized that the officer acted “professionally” and that the intervention aimed to prevent escalation after provocations from some graduates, who, according to him, used nationalist symbols and shouted chauvinist slogans such as “Kosovo is the heart of Serbia.”
Sveçla published a video on Facebook where graduates are heard singing the song “Vidovdan” and shouting “Kosovo is the heart of Serbia” near the main bridge over the Ibar River in North Mitrovica.
Serbia’s Ministry of Justice has requested an international investigation into the May 23 incident in North Mitrovica.
“Direct involvement of international representatives in protecting the rights of the Serb people, suspension of political and logistical support for the Kosovo Police until accountability and respect for the fundamental rights of Serbs are ensured,” said the Serbian Ministry on Saturday.
Nenad Rashiq, leader of the Freedom, Justice and Survival party, condemned the incident, stating that “possible use of force against youth is a serious blow to fundamental democratic values” and added that it worsens relations in northern Kosovo.
Rashiq is the Minister for Communities and Returns in the Kosovo Government, and his party won a seat in Kosovo’s parliamentary elections in February.
He called on Minister Sveçla to take all necessary measures to prevent such cases from recurring and announced plans to request an investigation by the Kosovo Police Inspectorate.
The Serbian List — the largest party representing Kosovo Serbs and supported by the official Belgrade — called the incident “completely unacceptable” and claimed that institutions tasked with maintaining peace “are being used to spread fear and pressure based on ethnic motives.”
“We demand an immediate investigation of this case, determination of responsibility, and punishment of the officers who abused their powers,” the statement said.
The Serbian People’s Movement and Serbian Democracy parties also demanded an investigation, describing the incident as “institutional violence against Serb children by the Kosovo Police.” /REL/
