Indictment filed against Slavko Simic over incident during protest in Leposavic

The Basic Prosecutor’s Office in Mitrovica has filed an indictment against the Serb List MP Slavko Simic and one other individual over an alleged attack on journalists during a 2023 protest in Leposavic.

"The Basic Prosecutor’s Office in Mitrovica informs the public that it has filed an indictment against an individual with the initials S.S., a Member of the Kosovo Assembly, on suspicion of committing the criminal offense of ‘Participation in a crowd committing a criminal offense and hooliganism,’ pursuant to Article 404, paragraph 2 in conjunction with paragraph 1 of the Criminal Code of Kosovo,” the Prosecutor’s Office stated.

According to the indictment, on June 16, 2023, during a protest against a visit by former Minister E.K. in Leposavic, the accused allegedly participated with premeditation in a crowd of more than eight individuals.

“At the moment when former Minister E.K. exited the Leposavic municipal building, masked civilians began throwing stun grenades toward the official vehicle. After the vehicle passed, the accused allegedly ordered the crowd to attack the media, leading to an assault on journalists and media representatives from Kosovo—initially with stun grenades, then with punches, kicks, and hard objects such as concrete blocks, bricks, paint, and other items, as a result of which two journalists sustained serious bodily injuries,” the indictment claims.

The Prosecutor’s Office further stated that the second defendant, U.V., who directly participated in the use of force against journalists, has been charged with the criminal offenses of “Assault,” under Article 184, paragraph 3, item 3.1 of the Criminal Code, and “Participation in a crowd committing a criminal offense and hooliganism,” under Article 404, paragraph 1 of the Criminal Code of Kosovo.

In April, the Basic Prosecutor’s Office in Mitrovica announced that it had questioned newly elected MP Slavko Simic as a suspect in connection with the alleged organization of the attack on journalists on June 16, 2023, in Leposavic.

At that time, the office stated that Simic was suspected of the criminal offense of “participation in a group committing a criminal offense and hooliganism.”

The incident occurred during a visit by former Minister Elbert Krasniqi to Leposavic and was part of broader protests held by Serbs in northern Kosovo against newly elected ethnic Albanian mayors.

Previously, the Serb List Presidium member Igor Simic confirmed that he, along with Zlatan Elek and Slavko Simic, and more than 40 other Serbs, had been summoned for questioning as suspects over their participation in peaceful protests in northern Kosovo in December 2022, under allegations including attacks on the constitutional order and other criminal offenses.

He described the proceedings as politically motivated pressure against the Serb List and an attempt to intimidate the Serbian community, characterizing it as repression by the regime of Albin Kurti—particularly in the run-up to upcoming local elections.