The arrest of former Kosovo police officer Arbnor Spahiu on June 7 by Serbian authorities is being interpreted not as a simple legal matter, but rather part of a coordinated political strategy by Belgrade to target current and former security officials from Kosovo, according to security expert Drizan Shala.
In an interview with Ekonomia Online, Shala emphasized that Spahiu’s arrest reflects Serbia’s growing efforts to intimidate or persecute former members of Kosovo’s institutions, especially those affiliated with security structures.
“We have a clear example here — a former official who hasn’t been part of Kosovo’s security structures for over three years was detained at the Hungary-Serbia border, subjected to an investigation, and placed in 30-day pretrial detention for alleged involvement in the Banjska incident, even though he had left the police force four months before that event,” Shala explained.
Serbia’s Alleged “Witch Hunt”
Shala claims that Serbia is conducting a “witch hunt” against Kosovo’s security personnel. He argues that such actions demonstrate the urgent need for stronger institutional and diplomatic engagement from Kosovo and its international allies.
“Kosovo must act more assertively. Serbia is publicly declaring its intentions — any current or former security official should now be aware that traveling through Serbia poses serious risks,” said Shala.
According to him, Serbia has compiled a database of both active and former members of Kosovo’s security forces, which increases the potential for further arrests.
“Serbia is tracking and identifying these individuals through this system. The risk is high, and the number of similar arrests may increase if Serbia’s security system detects their movement,” Shala warned.
Legal vs. Political Motives
The expert stressed that Serbia’s actions are politically motivated, not legal. He pointed out that a rule-of-law state would not detain someone under such circumstances.
“In a true rule-of-law country — which Serbia claims to be — this arrest wouldn’t have happened. This case serves Serbia’s political agenda, just like previous incidents involving detained Kosovo citizens and officials,” he said.
Shala called for greater international intervention, particularly from Brussels, to prevent Serbia from using such arrests as political tools.
“There needs to be a more active and progressive response from Brussels to ensure that these tactics don’t become normalized in Serbia’s regional policy,” he concluded.
