In a major escalation of the legal backlash surrounding her controversial remarks, a formal criminal complaint will be filed against Serbian Minister Snežana Paunović tomorrow at 2:00 PM at the Special Prosecution Office of the Republic of Kosovo.
Kosovar attorney Gent Gjini confirmed to IndeksOnline that the legal action will explicitly request the issuance of an international arrest warrant through Interpol for the Minister of State Administration and Local Self-Government.
The Legal Basis for the Complaint
According to attorney Gjini, Paunović’s public declaration that “she would have ethnically cleansed Kosovo in 1999 had she been in Slobodan Milošević’s place” goes far beyond controversial political rhetoric.
He argues that the statement constitutes:
- A direct violation of the constitutional order of the Republic of Kosovo.
- A severe threat to the legal and national security of the state.
- An incitement of ethnic hatred and justification of war crimes.
The Path to an Interpol Red Notice
The proposed legal process to secure an international arrest warrant against the Serbian Minister involves several key stages within the Kosovo judicial system and international channels:
- Step 1: Filing the Criminal Complaint On Friday at 14:00, attorney Gent Gjini will formally deliver the criminal complaint to the Special Prosecution Office of the Republic of Kosovo in Pristina, citing violations of the constitutional order and incitement of ethnic hatred.
- Step 2: Prosecutorial Evaluation Special prosecutors will review the filing, analyze the broadcast footage of Minister Paunović’s remarks, and determine if there is sufficient legal ground to initiate a formal criminal investigation.
- Step 3: Domestic Arrest Warrant Issued If the prosecution finds probable cause, they will request a local pre-trial judge to issue a domestic arrest warrant for the suspect.
- Step 4: Request for International Red Notice Because Kosovo is not a full member of Interpol, the Ministry of Justice and the Kosovo Police will coordinate with the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) or use bilateral security channels to forward the domestic warrant to Interpol headquarters, requesting the issuance of an international Red Notice.
The Diplomatic Context: While Kosovo is not a full member of Interpol, it routinely processes international arrest warrants through UNMIK (the UN Mission in Kosovo) or direct bilateral state channels. This legal move follows the decision by Kosovo’s Interior Ministry earlier today to declare Paunović persona non grata and ban her permanently from entering the country.
