Petkovic: By arresting Serbs, Kurti is trying to mask the serious crisis in Pristina

The Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, Petar Petkovic, commented today on the arrest of his assistant, Igor Popovic, stating that Albin Kurti is using the arrests of Serbs to mask the institutional vacuum and serious crisis in Pristina. He also dismissed as a “blatant lie” the claims circulating in Western circles that Popovic entered Kosovo illegally.

“Popovic is a state official, my assistant in charge of local self-government and legal affairs. He is an exceptional person and a top legal expert who is constantly on the ground. The stories coming from Western circles that he failed to give prior notice before entering Kosovo and Metohija are outright lies,” Petkovic said in a statement for TV Pink.

He emphasized that Popovic is not subject to the provisions of the agreement on official visits.

“Only government officials are subject to those provisions. When I travel, I have to give notice, although I haven’t been able to enter Kosovo and Metohija for two years because I was banned. The agreement has nothing to do with Popovic. He is not required to give prior notice,” Petkovic explained.

He added that Popovic entered Kosovo by presenting his ID card and that the Kosovo Police allowed him to pass, just as they had on previous occasions, indicating that his entry was lawful and routine.

“Now, some foreign officials are making excuses to justify their inaction, even though we reacted immediately from the moment he was arrested, pointing to the extent of the violations, not just of human rights but of the entire rule of law, which is nonexistent in Kosovo and Metohija. This is a disgrace for the international community, not to mention the shameful behavior of the authorities in Pristina toward Popovic,” Petkovic said.

He reminded that Popovic was arrested simply for “speaking the truth about the suffering of Serbs.”

“When he was heading toward Brnjak to exit at that administrative crossing, he was stopped by the Kosovo Police, who brutally pulled him and his driver from the vehicle, handcuffed him as if he were a criminal, and did not allow him to contact the Office or his family. For three hours after the arrest, we had no idea where he was. We learned about it from Albanian media,” Petkovic said.

He noted that later, Interior Minister Xhelal Svecla publicly declared Popovic guilty without a trial, “marking him and condemning him in advance,” which he claims is what Svecla does with all Serbs.

“This clearly illustrates the scale of abuse and manipulation of the judiciary. We immediately started an effort to inform all Quint representatives, EU member states, and international missions in Kosovo and Metohija about who Popovic is and what happened. But there has been no meaningful response. First, they promised he would be released the same day, then he was held for 48 hours, and now they have imposed a 30-day detention. It is clear this is part of Kurti’s campaign against President Aleksandar Vucic and the Serbian people. Kurti is using this to cover up the institutional vacuum and crisis in Pristina,” Petkovic stated.

He pointed out that today marks the 50th attempt to hold the constitutive session of the Kosovo Assembly, yet they still haven’t been able to form a parliament since the elections.

“They are in a deep crisis. By targeting Serbs, dismantling Serbian institutions, and making arrests, they are trying to deflect attention from what is happening in Pristina and shift the focus to the Serbs and the Serbian people,” he added.

Petkovic also said it is outrageous that Kurti has launched his local election campaign with anti-Serb decisions, including the construction of bridges on the Ibar and the arrest of Popovic.

“They are not interested in dialogue, normalization, or any regional initiative aimed at preserving peace. Their only goal is to harm the Serbian people,” Petkovic said.

Responding to the observation that no one mentions the Community of Serb Municipalities anymore, Petkovic stressed that only Belgrade continues to raise the issue with the international community, even though, he noted, they are fully informed through their diplomatic representatives.

“They are fully aware of the suffering of Serbs, the dismantling of Serbian institutions, the shutdown of Serbia’s payment system in Kosovo, the harassment of Serbs, arrests, political prisoners, the mistreatment of children, and the closure of sports facilities, all aimed at provoking a reaction from our people so that Kurti can blame the Serbs and Belgrade for everything,” Petkovic explained.

He emphasized that Belgrade will continue to fight for peace and stability and do everything it can to protect the Serbian people.

“My message to Serbs is to be patient and remain calm, because this terror cannot last forever,” Petkovic stressed.

Regarding recent statements by Donald Trump and accusations that Vjosa Osmani distorted his words, Petkovic said Serbia faces dozens of lies daily from Osmani, Kurti, and analysts in Pristina, who conduct propaganda, attack Belgrade, and defame Serbia and Vucic in the international arena.

“This is just the latest example. Osmani claimed during her visit to the US that Serbia was planning an attack on Kosovo at the start of the year and that Trump supposedly stopped it. Then Richard Grenell responded, telling her to be ashamed for twisting Trump’s words. Now KFOR has confirmed that there was no movement of Serbian forces and that the situation was normal. Everything Vjosa Osmani says falls apart, these are lies they invent daily, and we must respond, expose the truth, and defend ourselves in the eyes of the international community,” Petkovic said.

He added that there is visible frustration among representatives of Pristina, both in Brussels and on international forums, because Vucic will never recognize Kosovo’s independence.

“That terrifies them. And the arrest of Igor Popovic is just another attempt to prove to themselves and to the international community that they are sovereign and can mistreat Serbian officials, acting as if they are a state,” Petkovic noted.

He declared that as long as Aleksandar Vucic is president, Serbia will never recognize Kosovo.

“We will continue to engage in dialogue in Brussels – yes. We will insist on the formation of the CSM and the protection of the individual and collective rights of Serbs. But recognition is out of the question,” Petkovic said firmly.

He also pointed out that everything happening in Kosovo shows the direction things are heading and that Kurti does not want dialogue, which is why, he concluded, this year is a lost one for any kind of agreement.