A citizen of the Republic of Kosovo, Avni Qenaj, has been placed in 30-day detention by Serbian judicial authorities, under allegations of involvement in war crimes from 1999.
The news was announced by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, which emphasized that this action represents a continuation of Serbia’s political persecution of Kosovo citizens through unfounded and politically motivated accusations.
According to the MFA, through the Liaison Office in Serbia, the case will continue to be closely monitored and all diplomatic actions will be undertaken to protect Avni Qenaj’s rights and to oppose these accusations.
As part of this engagement, the Ambassador of the Republic of Kosovo to Serbia, Jetish Jashari, visited Qenaj a day earlier at the Detention Center of the Higher Court for War Crimes in Belgrade, offering him full institutional support from the Government of Kosovo.He has stated that he has not yet been visited by family members, but expects this to happen in the coming days, while the family has hired four defense lawyers for his legal representation.
Avni Qenaj was arrested on November 26, 2025, at the Merdare border crossing, while in transit to Bosnia and Herzegovina, where his family runs a business. After the arrest, he was held for 48 hours in Prokuplje and then transferred to Belgrade. On November 28, he appeared before the pre-trial judge, where he was informed about the opening of criminal proceedings and the imposing of the detention measure.
