Bejtush Gashi, former Minister of Internal Affairs, stated that Serbia has consistently carried out detentions similar to the one involving Arbnor Spahiu, a former member of the Special Operations Unit (NjSO), who was recently stopped by Serbian authorities at the Horgosh border crossing and taken to a detention center in Kanjiža.
Speaking to Klan Kosova, Gashi emphasized that uniformed Kosovo officials should avoid traveling through Serbia:
“Since 2008, when Kosovo declared independence, Serbia has repeatedly carried out such detentions and will likely continue doing so in the future. Until relations between Kosovo and Serbia are normalized, Serbia will pursue this strategy. Therefore, uniformed officials are advised to avoid transit through Serbian territory and use alternative routes whenever possible.”
He also addressed the pressure placed on Kosovo Serbs:
“Detentions of Serbian community members are a form of pressure aimed at discouraging them from being part of Kosovo’s institutions. At the same time, Serbia uses these incidents to potentially recruit loyal informants from among them.”
