Behar Preniqi, a citizen from Obiliq, Kosovo, was reportedly detained by Serbian authorities at the Croatia–Serbia border while traveling back from Germany to Kosovo.
According to his wife, who is currently in Germany, Behar was stopped immediately upon entering Serbia and managed to send her a message before being taken.
“My husband left Munich at 8:00 AM on August 3rd, traveling by car with a friend. Around 3:00 AM, he sent me a message saying he had been stopped at the border—he didn’t say where exactly—and asked me to inform the family,” said his wife, Ndoji.
The alleged reason for the arrest, she added, was a photo of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) emblem that Preniqi had on his Facebook profile.
“The individual with him stated that Serbian authorities found a KLA photo on Facebook. I have not spoken to the person directly, and I don’t know all the details,” she told Tëvë1.
His cousin, Armend Krasniqi, emphasized that Behar Preniqi was never a member of the KLA.
“Behar grew up in Obiliq. During the war, he was only 16 years old and left for Macedonia during the last offensive before NATO intervened. After the war, he returned to Kosovo, worked here until three years ago, and then got married. He currently lives in Munich,” said Krasniqi.
Krasniqi also noted that Behar had traveled through Serbia many times before without issue.
“Behar is a good, hardworking, quiet man. He traveled alone this time to visit his grandmother. His father recently passed away, and he has no parents left. We have received no information from our authorities or the Ministry,” Krasniqi added.
In response to the incident, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora (MFAD) issued a statement:
“The Liaison Office has formally contacted Serbian authorities to confirm the arrest of Mr. Preniqi and clarify the reasons for his detention. The case has also been referred to the EU Delegation in Serbia and the embassies of Quint countries,” stated the Ministry.
The Ministry reiterated its call to all citizens of Kosovo to avoid traveling through Serbian territory to ensure their safety and well-being.
