Office for Kosovo and Metohija: Several Serbs detained on alleged war crimes charges, continuation of Pristina's policy of terror

The Office for Kosovo and Metohija announced that several Serbs from Kosovo were arrested early this morning on what it described as "alleged war crimes charges," stressing that this represents systematic political and institutional violence by Pristina under the leadership of Albin Kurti.

"Kurti's so-called Kosovo Police arrested several Serbs from Kosovo and Metohija early this morning on alleged war crimes charges, continuing a policy of terror and retaliation against our people. At around five o'clock this morning, his police formations stormed the homes of honest Serbian householders and, in front of their families and through the use of force, detained several Serbs," the Office for Kosovo and Metohija stated.

According to the statement, Stanko S., an employee of Posta Srbije (Serbian Post) who performed his duties during the conflict as well, was detained in the village of Pones in the municipality of Gnjilane. Police operations were also carried out in the villages of Berevce, Gotovusa, Sevce, Pecinoće, and Vica in the municipality of Strpce, where additional Serbs were detained.

The Office for Kosovo and Metohija emphasized that these are individuals who have lived in Kosovo for years and have never left their homes because they had neither anything to hide nor any reason to flee.

It therefore argued that what is taking place is systematic political and institutional violence by Pristina under the leadership of Albin Kurti, whose sole objective is to expel and arrest Serbs, while "using allegations of alleged war crimes as a cover for his chauvinistic and anti-Serb policy."

"The so-called Kosovo Police and the so-called Prosecutor's Office are nothing more than a whip in the hands of Albin Kurti, who is using this form of institutional violence to take revenge on the Serbs, particularly following the elections and the clearly demonstrated unity and solidarity of the Serbian people, which he is unable to break," the Office for Kosovo and Metohija concluded.

Earlier, the Kosovo Special Prosecutor's Office announced that five individuals had been arrested as part of a war crimes investigation.

"The police operation, conducted within the framework of the investigation being carried out by the Special Prosecutor's Office of the Republic of Kosovo in the case known as 'Racak II,' in cooperation with the Kosovo Police, resulted in the arrest of five individuals," the Prosecutor's Office said in a statement.

Early this morning, the Kosovo Police operation was carried out in the municipality of Strpce, including in Gotovusa and the villages of Vica and Berevce.