Petkovic: Arrested Serbs at Gazimestan went through hell; there will be even more of us next year

The Director of the Serbian Government's Office for Kosovo and Metohija, Petar Petkovic, said that the 36 Serbs arrested at Gazimestan on Vidovdan have been released, stressing that they were subjected to mistreatment while in detention and that multiple fundamental human rights were violated through their arrest. He also said that, despite this, there will be even more Serbs at Gazimestan next year, adding that repression will not intimidate the Serbian people.

"Finally, the 36 Serbs are free. They went through a real hell from Sunday, on Vidovdan, when they were unlawfully arrested, until today. This is confirmed by the testimonies of the arrested Serbs, as well as medical documentation and numerous injuries, bruises, and contusions on the heads and bodies of our people, simply because they were at Gazimestan to mark Vidovdan and to join their Church and their people in commemorating the Kosovo heroes," Petkovic told TV Most.

As he stressed, the goal was to arrest Serbs at any cost.

"Last time, they were arresting people because of Serbian flags and because Serbs were wearing T-shirts with Serbian emblems. That was not the case this time, since the Serbs did not bring Serbian flags, which they certainly have the right to do. This time, the Kosovo police, or rather Kurti's police, used the fact that the Serbs were singing traditional Serbian songs as a pretext. Then they crammed all 36 of them into those metal containers," Petkovic said.

He added that the Office for Kosovo and Metohija had informed representatives of the international community, the EU Special Representative for the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue Peter Sorensen, international organizations in Kosovo, as well as other organizations engaged in the protection of human rights.

"It is clear that this is a violation of the fundamental human rights of Serbs, who are being arrested to send the message that they should not come to Gazimestan on Vidovdan next year. Therefore, my message to Kurti and the Kosovo Police is this: next year there will be even more of us, in Gracanica, at Gazimestan, and everywhere else where we will peacefully and dignifiedly honor the Kosovo heroes and the Kosovo Covenant. The more they harass, attack, and arrest us, the stronger the Kosovo Covenant will become in the soul of every Serb. That is something they can never take away from us, nor can they intimidate the Serbian people in any way," the Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija said.

He stated that the arrested Serbs said Kosovo police officers had drawn knives, beaten with batons anyone who refused to say "Kosovo is a republic," and had insulted and mocked them.

"I will now speak publicly, now that our people have been released, because before that I did not want any statement of mine to influence the misdemeanor proceedings or make the situation even more difficult for our people, since we know very well how vindictive Kurti is. But what everyone should know is that we have stood by our people from the very beginning. On Sunday, as soon as our people were unlawfully arrested, I immediately called Sorensen, I called all international representatives, there was not a single phone number I did not dial that day. Then we sent letters to our Ombudsman, other independent institutions, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Everyone became engaged, and we approached every representative in Brussels and elsewhere to explain what had happened," he said.

He stressed that arresting people for marking a national holiday is unacceptable.

"Because here, in the heart of Europe, arresting a people simply for commemorating their national holiday is a disgrace. That is the word I used when I addressed representatives of the international community. You saw the footage of a little girl crying for her father. Representatives of the international community, EULEX, and other international organizations in Kosovo and Metohija had the opportunity to see all of that. And I told them: shame on you, because no one spoke out against these unlawful arrests, which had absolutely no legal basis. When they remain silent, they only encourage Kurti to become even more brutal in his attacks on the Serbian people," Petkovic stressed.

According to him, international representatives then began to react, but only declaratively.

"International representatives began issuing statements saying they were monitoring the case and all police activities, calling for respect for the rule of law and repeating all those familiar phrases they use when they have no intention of taking action. This shows that in this matter we are on our own, and that the Serbian people have President Aleksandar Vucic and the Republic of Serbia standing by them. I would also like to express my great gratitude to the Serb List, which was present on the ground the entire time, stood by our people when the arrested Serbs were released, although they were not allowed to leave the territory of Kosovo and Metohija because their documents had been confiscated. We gathered our people, spoke with them, encouraged them, and provided logistical, financial, and every other form of assistance. We stood by them the entire time, we are still with them today, and we will continue to provide all the help they need in the days ahead," Petkovic said.

As he emphasized, the truth about the mistreatment of Serbs must reach the international public.

"The truth about the mistreatment and suffering of Serbs must be heard, and the international community must understand that it can no longer continue covering up for Albin Kurti and everything his police are doing," Petkovic said.

He also thanked the Eparchy of Raska-Prizren, which had stood by the arrested Serbs from the very beginning.

"In the 21st century, if you sing Serbian songs, you end up in Kurti's dungeon. What I can say is that all of our efforts have produced results, because our activities led to the Serbs now facing misdemeanor rather than criminal proceedings. That is still outrageous, but at least they are no longer spending six, seven, or eight months in prison simply for wearing a Serbian T-shirt, as happened before. We nevertheless managed to raise this issue to a high level, leaving Kurti with no room to maneuver. But this demonstrates the true intention behind Albin Kurti's policy, which is to persecute everything Serbian and drive every Serb out of Kosovo and Metohija," Petkovic said.

Petkovic concluded that the Republic of Serbia, President Aleksandar Vucic, and the Serb List would continue supporting the arrested Serbs and their families.

"My message to Kurti and everyone who so brutally trampled on the rights of Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija is this: there will be even more of us at Gazimestan next year," Petkovic concluded.