Last week, Avni Qenaj, a Kosovo citizen and veteran of the Kosovo Liberation Army, was detained by Serbian police while crossing the Merdare border point.
Just days later, a Serbian court ordered 30 days of pre-trial detention, prompting strong reactions from institutions in Kosovo.
In a statement posted on Facebook, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora (MFA) said the decision represents a continuation of Serbia’s politically motivated persecution of Kosovo citizens through unfounded and politically driven accusations.
The ministry emphasized that, through Kosovo’s Liaison Office in Serbia, it will continue close monitoring of the case and will undertake all necessary diplomatic steps to protect Qenaj’s rights and challenge what it calls baseless, politically motivated charges.
As part of these efforts, the ministry confirmed that Kosovo’s Ambassador to Serbia, Jetish Jashari, visited Qenaj yesterday at the Detention Center of the High Court for War Crimes in Belgrade, offering him full institutional support in line with international law and standards of justice.
According to the ministry’s statement:
“Mr. Qenaj stated that during his stay in police custody he was subjected to psychological pressure, though without physical mistreatment. He also confirmed that he is currently not being mistreated by detention authorities.”
The ministry added that Qenaj has not yet received visits from family members, who are expected to see him in the coming days. His family has hired four defense lawyers to represent him.
Qenaj was arrested on 26 November 2025 at the Merdare border crossing while traveling to Bosnia and Herzegovina, where his family operates a business. After his arrest, he was held for 48 hours in Prokuplje before being transferred to Belgrade.
On 28 November, he appeared before a preliminary procedure judge at the High Court for War Crimes in Belgrade, where he was informed that prosecutors have initiated criminal proceedings against him and that pre-trial detention had been imposed.
