Serbian authorities have arrested a former member of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA), a citizen of Kosovo, on allegations of committing war crimes against civilians, according to statements from Serbian officials and Kosovo-based sources.
The Organization of KLA War Veterans (OVL-UÇK) and lawyer Arianti Koci confirmed that Mit’hat Lozhani was detained on February 5. According to OVL-UÇK Deputy Chairman Gazmend Syla, Lozhani was arrested at the Serbia-Croatia border, where Serbian authorities reportedly found a KLA veteran membership card in his possession.
Syla stated that Lozhani had participated in certain training sessions in Albania but added that there is no confirmed information indicating he was engaged directly in frontline combat during the Kosovo war.
Meanwhile, Serbian Interior Minister Ivica Dačić claimed that Lozhani is suspected of committing crimes against the civilian population. Serbian authorities placed him under 48-hour detention, after which he is expected to be transferred to the War Crimes Prosecutor’s Office, where formal charges may be filed.
According to Serbian claims, Lozhani allegedly participated in military training as part of the KLA’s Dukagjini Operational Zone in 1998–1999 and later took part in attacks described by Serbian authorities as “terrorist actions” against Serbian police and the Yugoslav Army. Serbian officials also alleged that Lozhani was part of a unit commanded by Ramush Haradinaj, accusing the group of involvement in kidnappings and killings of Serbian police officers.
However, such allegations reflect longstanding narratives promoted by Serbian authorities, which have frequently sought to characterize the KLA’s activities during the Kosovo war as criminal acts. In Kosovo, similar arrests are widely viewed as part of a broader political and legal strategy aimed at prosecuting former KLA members, while many documented crimes committed by Serbian forces against Albanian civilians remain largely unpunished.
Lawyer Arianti Koci stated that Lozhani’s arrest occurred around 11:00 AM on February 5 and warned that this case is not isolated. He emphasized that arrests of Kosovo citizens transiting through Serbia have become increasingly frequent.
Koci called on Kosovo authorities to take stronger action in response to such detentions, suggesting potential political countermeasures, including the possibility of temporarily closing border crossings if arrests continue. He stressed that the protection of Kosovo citizens cannot remain solely an individual legal matter but must be addressed at the state level.
Serbia has repeatedly detained Kosovo citizens on alleged war crimes charges related to the 1998–1999 Kosovo conflict, with several similar arrests reported throughout 2025.
Recent Arrests of Kosovo Citizens in Serbia (According to Kosovo Ministry of Foreign Affairs Sources)
- Arbnor Spahiu – Arrested in June over alleged involvement in a killing in Banjska; released November 21
- Lulzim Halili – Arrested in July on war crimes allegations; remains in detention
- Sasha Gjorgjeviq – Arrested in July for alleged intelligence cooperation; remains in detention
- Behar Preniqi – Arrested in August as a suspected KLA member; remains in detention
- Hazir Haziri – Arrested in September on war crimes allegations; released January 2026
- Avni Qenaj – Arrested in November on war crimes allegations; placed in one-month detention by Belgrade court
- Millan Vukashinoviq – Reportedly detained by Serbian gendarmerie in Leposaviq on November 1
- X.E. and B.E. (Xhemajl and Bashkim Emini) – Detained on August 14 at Horgoš over alleged war crimes; released after five days
