Special operations against Kosovo are being considered regarding the arrests of Albanians by Serbian authorities at border crossings, with several cases occurring just this year.
Two people were detained today, according to a statement from Serbia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, at the border crossing between Serbia and Hungary – Horgosh. The statement – which does not mention their nationality – says that the people with the initials X.E. and B.E. “are suspected of war crimes in Kosovo” in 1999.
The Deputy Chairman of the Organization of War Veterans of the Kosovo Liberation Army (OVL-UÇK), Gazmend Syla, says that the recent arrests are concerning. He also once again urges citizens from Kosovo to avoid traveling through Serbian territory.
“We have asked, and we appeal again today to all citizens of the country, especially those who were in the war or contributed to our war in various ways. Serbia has the documentation, it has the records, it knows who did what in our country. Therefore, do not travel there because no one will be there to follow up for you… Serbia is finding ways to apply this pressure and to never stop this special war since the post-war period. We are very concerned and again urge people not to go through Serbia, thinking Serbia is not what it used to be. You know that today Serbia is led by a former minister from Milošević’s time,” Syla said.
The detention of two people today comes at a time when arrests of Albanians by Serbian authorities have been increasing.
Recently, several arrests of Albanians by Serbian authorities have been reported. Lulzim Halili was arrested on July 22 – for whom Serbia claimed he was part of the Kosovo Liberation Army. OVL-UÇK denied this.
Also, recently, Behar Preniqi was detained at the border between Croatia and Serbia. Regarding this case, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it requested clarification from the Serbian government about his detention.“It is clear that the recent arrests did not happen for reasons of the rule of law but for revenge. I think Kosovo citizens should avoid Serbia as a transit route. The arrests in recent months have mostly been revenge arrests, but perhaps also an attempt to exchange detainees who are within the institutions of law and order in Kosovo, especially regarding the Banjska case or similar cases. Citizens of Kosovo in general should avoid passing through Serbia, but especially former KLA members, because they could be a target,” said Mentor Vrajolli, Executive Director of the Kosovo Center for Security Studies (QKSS).
“Serbia, led by Vučić and its state apparatus, is a revenge-driven power. Unlike the institutions of the Republic of Kosovo, which when making an arrest have sufficient evidence and facts that someone committed a crime or took part in the wars in Kosovo and massacres, Serbia does not act on evidence. They do it as a form of political revenge. And the repeated calls of the institutions of the Republic of Kosovo, not only now but since the end of the war, are for former KLA members, known by name, and I strongly believe Serbia has them in its databases, as well as our police, FSK, and possibly AKI personnel, to be careful not to travel through Serbia, so as not to give them a chance to arrest them for something they may not have even done,” said security expert Avni Islami.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora has repeatedly urged citizens to avoid travel and transit through Serbian territory due to the increased risk of arbitrary detentions and arrests by Serbian authorities.
Former member of the Kosovo Special Police Unit, Arbnor Spahiu, was detained on June 7 at the Hungary–Serbia border. He was given a one-month pretrial detention for alleged “aggravated murder.” Later, his detention was extended for another 30 days.
