The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora (MPJD) announced today that it is “closely monitoring” the developments surrounding the arrest of former Kosovo Police Special Unit member, Arbnor Spahiu, in Serbia. The Ministry has also informed the QUINT countries (US, UK, France, Germany, Italy) about the situation.
Kosovo’s President, Vjosa Osmani, is also actively engaged in the case, according to her media advisor, Bekim Kupina. Kupina stated that President Osmani immediately contacted Kosovo’s Liaison Office in Serbia upon being notified and has also been in touch with QUINT states and the EU Office in Kosovo. “The President’s engagement will continue,” he affirmed.
Arrest Details and Allegations
Spahiu was arrested on June 7 by Serbian authorities at the border crossing between Hungary and Serbia while returning from Austria to Kosovo with his family by bus. The Higher Court in Subotica has ordered one month of pre-trial detention for Spahiu, alleging he committed “aggravated murder” in the village of Banjska in northern Kosovo.
The MPJD, referencing statements from Spahiu’s family and lawyer, Arianit Koci, said on Facebook that the accusations against him relate to the Banjska case. “They consider these accusations entirely unfounded and fabricated, emphasizing that Mr. Spahiu ended his service in the Kosovo Police in 2022 and has since lived in Germany with his family,” the Ministry stated.
Diplomatic Efforts and Legal Steps
The Ministry highlighted that Jetish Jashari, head of Kosovo’s Liaison Office in Serbia, along with Arianit Koci (engaged by the family), will travel to Subotica on June 11 to meet with Spahiu’s second court-appointed lawyer. The Liaison Office has also submitted an official request for Ambassador Jashari to visit Spahiu at the Detention Center in Subotica, with the visit expected in the coming days pending approval.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, through the Liaison Office in Belgrade, has informed the diplomatic missions of the QUINT countries accredited in Belgrade, and the entire diplomatic corps in Kosovo, about the case,” the Ministry added. “In particular, regular communication is being maintained with the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany, given that Mr. Spahiu has regular residency in Germany.”
Kosovo’s MPJD affirmed its commitment to utilizing “all available diplomatic channels” to ensure that “this latest injustice against a citizen of Kosovo ends, and that Spahiu is released as soon as possible.”
Contradictory Claims and Legal Ramifications
Serbia accuses Spahiu of committing the alleged crime in Banjska, northern Kosovo, where an armed group of Serbs attacked Kosovo Police in September 2023, resulting in the death of Sergeant Afrim Bunjaku.
However, Kosovo Police has officially confirmed that Spahiu was not a member of the police force at that time. “A.S. voluntarily resigned in 2022,” according to a response sent to Radio Free Europe.
In Serbia, “aggravated murder” carries a minimum sentence of ten years in prison or life imprisonment. Lawyer Koci has also asserted that his client has not been part of the Kosovo Police for three years and resides in Germany, stating he has submitted evidence that will prove Spahiu’s innocence.
