Burjani: Hate speech is a criminal offense, caution is needed to avoid breaking the law

We should not confuse politics with actions that fall under criminal offenses, political analyst Blerim Burjani says regarding the arrest of Igor Popovic, Assistant Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija of the Government of Serbia, whom the Special Prosecutor’s Office accuses of inciting discord and intolerance with a speech he delivered on Friday in Velika Hoca, after a memorial for Serbs who lost their lives in the Orahovac area.

“All facts should be taken into account. Hate speech should not be used, as it is a criminal offense under the laws and the Constitution of Kosovo. There are legal consequences when the law is violated. Caution is needed to avoid breaking the law. National hatred is illegal. The matter is now in the hands of the prosecutor and the court,” Burjani told Kosovo Online.

Popovic was detained on Friday, and yesterday a pre-trial judge of the Basic Court in Pristina ordered 30 days of detention. Popovic’s lawyer, Ljubomir Pantovic, announced an appeal against the decision.

Pantovic stated yesterday that it is unclear why the court accepted the prosecution's request, as Popovic did not mention any other ethnic group or nationality, especially not the Albanian one.