Petar Petković, the director of Serbia’s so-called Office for Kosovo, claimed on Saturday that authorities in Pristina, under direct orders from acting Prime Minister Albin Kurti, detained three members of Serbia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs (MUP) and one retired police officer at border crossings during the night and early morning.
Serbia’s Accusations of Political Retaliation
According to Petković, the detentions were made without any legal basis and constitute political retaliation against Serbs. He emphasized that the detained individuals and their families have lived in Kosovo for years while performing their duties in police units within the territory of Serbia.
Petković stated that the individuals are currently in custody, and the “Office for Kosovo will provide them with legal assistance and inform international representatives and the dialogue facilitator, Peter Sorensen, through diplomatic channels about this illegal action.”
The Office for Kosovo’s announcement only provided the initials of the detained individuals and the border points where they were held: N.V. (26, Brnjak), M.M. (28, Jarinje), and A.M. (36, Dheu i Bardhë), as well as M.S. (53, Brnjak), a retired police officer.
Petković also accused Kurti of political oppression, referencing the recent indictment against Serb List MP Slavko Simić, which he described as an attempt to criminalize representatives of Serb interests and an effort to ban the Serb List.
Petković asserted that these unilateral actions are increasing inter-ethnic tensions and hindering the normalization of relations in the region, calling for a clear and firm reaction from the international community against the detentions and persecution of Serbs.
Kosovo’s Response and Previous Arrests
In response, acting Minister of Internal Affairs, Xhelal Sveçla, announced today that Nikola Vujović’s Kosovan citizenship has been revoked because, by serving as a member of Serbia’s police forces, he endangered national security.
Additionally, on June 7, Serbia arrested former Kosovo police officer Arbnor Spahiu at the border crossing with Hungary, accusing him of participating in the Banjska incident in September 2023. However, the Kosovo Police stated that Spahiu had resigned in 2022. He has since been placed in pre-trial detention.
KOHA has sent inquiries to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and will update the article once a response is received.
