Serbia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Marko Djurić, held separate meetings with the ambassadors of Russia and China in Belgrade today to discuss the arrest in Kosovo of Igor Popović, Assistant Director of the Office for Kosovo in the Serbian Government.
“Unfounded and Illegal Arrest” Fuels Diplomatic Efforts
Djurić described Popović’s arrest as “unfounded and illegal.” Popović was remanded into one-month pre-trial detention after, on July 18, during a commemoration of the “murder of Serbs” in Rahovec, he called the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) a “terrorist organization.” Kosovo authorities state he is suspected of the criminal offense of “inciting discord and intolerance.”
The Serbian chief diplomat asserted that Popović’s arrest constitutes “political persecution and a continuation of a broader campaign of intimidation, humiliation, and pressure against the Serbian people” in Kosovo. Djurić assessed that dialogue with Kosovo “is not possible under current circumstances” and added that Serbia relies on the support of all relevant international factors for Popović’s swift release.
Kosovo and Serbia are engaged in a dialogue for the normalization of relations, a process mediated by the European Union. Belgrade, meanwhile, counts on the support of Russia and China in international organizations to oppose Kosovo’s independence.
Warnings and Demands for Accountability
Serbian officials have condemned Popović’s arrest as a “political decision,” demanding his immediate release and the protection of missions operating in Kosovo’s territory. Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić warned Kosovo of “unpredictable consequences,” a statement which Kosovo’s acting Prime Minister, Albin Kurti, characterized as a threat. Kurti called on international actors to react “clearly and decisively to Vučić’s threats,” which he believes could destabilize the entire Western Balkans region.
Kosovo’s acting Minister of Internal Affairs, Xhelal Sveçla, declared that Kosovo will not tolerate insults and desecration of the history and the struggle led by the KLA. The KLA was a political-military force that fought for the liberation of Kosovo from Serbian rule between 1990 and 1999. During the 1998-99 Kosovo war, more than 13,000 civilians were killed, and thousands more disappeared. Approximately 1,600 people, mostly Albanians, are still missing. Over the years, justice authorities in Kosovo have accused or convicted several individuals for war crimes. During a conference, Kurti reiterated that Serbia has yet to apologize for the crimes committed in Kosovo.
