Office for Kosovo and Metohija: Kosovo Police harassed Serbs on Kurti’s orders while failing to react to Albanian provocations in Gracanica

The Office for Kosovo and Metohija stated that today’s arrests and detentions of Serbs at Gazimestan mark the realization of Albin Kurti’s stated intent—announced just yesterday—to arrest and terrorize Serbs on Vidovdan, as he does every year, particularly on major and significant Serbian holidays.

According to the statement from the Office, Kosovo Police, acting on Kurti’s orders, detained and harassed several Serbs at Gazimestan during Vidovdan commemorations, even though none of their actions or behavior provoked any incidents or confrontations.

“Serbs were detained for carrying Serbian flags or images of monasteries, for wearing symbols of sports clubs, or for singing patriotic songs—all in an effort by Kurti to once again fill his dungeons with Serbs and attempt to criminalize and stigmatize them. The extent of Kurti’s anti-Serb hysteria is demonstrated by the fact that his forces at Gazimestan harassed a 12-year-old girl for singing songs, and checked the identity of her mother,” the statement reads.

They emphasized that at the same time, Kosovo police failed to react to a clear and deliberate provocation by Albanians, who were waving flags and honking horns through the center of Gracanica, near the monastery, attempting to provoke a reaction from local Serbs—but failed to do so.

The Office added that it is currently, through legal aid, reviewing all the cases of detention at Gazimestan and working to ensure that proper legal protection is provided to the detained individuals.

“We demand that the international community intervene in all cases of arbitrary and unlawful detention of Serbs, whose rights are being trampled, and who bear no responsibility for any provocations or incidents, but are instead victims of Kurti’s retaliation and hatred toward Serbs and all that is Serbian,” the statement concluded.