Montenegro’s Minister of Defense, Dragan Krapović, confirmed that two of the three individuals arrested in Kosovo for displaying the slogan “Kosovo is Serbia” were members of the Montenegrin Army.
Krapović stated that the two arrested individuals were on “official medical leave” at the moment and described them as “good and exemplary members” of the military. He also revealed that one of the soldiers had been in the system since 2011 and the other since 2022.
The arrests took place after the individuals were detained by Kosovo Police on November 24 for displaying car license plates with the controversial slogan while visiting the Dečani Monastery. They were identified as Rajko Krivokapić (34), Marinko Jovanović (24), and Dragutin Llallatović (24) from Nikšić, Montenegro.
Following their detention, the Pejë Basic Court ordered a one-month detention for the three suspects. The prosecutor in Pejë has charged them with “inciting hatred and intolerance.”
Kosovo authorities treat such slogans as provocations and acts of national hatred. They have not made an official statement regarding the arrest of the three Montenegrins.
The announcement has sparked criticism from Montenegro’s opposition. Vatroslav Belan, leader of the Liberal Party, accused Montenegro’s Minister of Defense of not respecting international agreements and commitments, particularly Montenegro’s credible NATO membership. Belan sarcastically remarked that the Ministry of Defense members were taking “medical leave” to “return Kosovo to Serbia.”
Pro-Serb and pro-Russian political parties in Montenegro, as well as the Serbian Orthodox Church, do not recognize Kosovo as an independent state, viewing it instead as part of Serbia. Montenegro, however, recognized Kosovo’s independence in 2008, during the government of the Democratic Party of Socialists under former President Milo Đukanović, who was ousted from power in August 2020.
