The former member of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) arrested on Tuesday in Serbia has been identified as Avni Qenaj, according to the Deputy Chairman of the KLA War Veterans’ Organization (OVL-UÇK), Gazmend Syla.
Qenaj, 52, served in the renowned “138 Agim Ramadani” Brigade, one of the most active KLA units during the Kosovo War.
According to Serbia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs, Qenaj is suspected of committing the criminal offense of organizing a group and inciting the commission of genocide and war crimes during the conflict in Kosovo.
Serbian authorities claim that the suspect joined the local KLA headquarters in the village of Romajë, Prizren municipality, in April 1998, and that as a member of the 138 “Agim Ramadani” Brigade, he allegedly participated in the attack on the Serbian border post in Koshare in 1999.
The Serbian Ministry assigned Qenaj a 48-hour detention, announcing that a criminal report will be submitted to the competent prosecutor’s office.
A Politically Motivated Arrest?
While Serbia continues to issue arrest warrants targeting former KLA members, Kosovo institutions and human rights monitors have repeatedly accused Belgrade of weaponizing its judiciary for political purposes.
Such arrests often occur without credible evidence and are widely seen as an attempt by Serbia to rewrite the history of the Kosovo War, portraying KLA fighters as criminals while ignoring documented atrocities committed by Serbian forces.
Qenaj’s arrest is expected to draw strong reactions from Kosovo authorities, veterans’ associations, and international observers who have long warned about Serbia’s continued abuse of wartime narratives.
