Petkovic: A pensioner from Belgrade was arrested in Jarinje; another form of intimidation of Kurti's institutions

Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, Petar Petkovic, announced that today in Jarinje, members of the Kosovo Police arrested 72-year-old pensioner Branko Banjac from Belgrade.

According to Petković's statement, Banjac was arrested today when he and his wife went to Peja for a hearing regarding the resolution of a property dispute that she is leading.

Petkovic stated that he had informed the EU Envoy for dialogue, Miroslav Lajcak, about the arrest.

"He was taken to the detention center in front of his wife by members of Kurti's police, and despite the fact that Branko had a spine operation and suffers from high blood pressure, he did not even manage to take a bag with medicines due to the actions of the Kosovo police. The office for Kosovo and Metohija immediately hired a team of lawyers for the defense, and I personally contacted the family in order to offer all kinds of additional help, and I directly informed Miroslav Lajcak about everything," Petkovic says.

He adds that the wife of the arrested Branko, who is a native of Peja, owns a house in the center of that city that was confiscated by the Kosovo Post Office, which is why she initiated a court case for the return of the property, and the hearing is scheduled for tomorrow.

"So, the fact is that Branko has absolutely nothing to do with the dispute in Kosovo and Metohija and that he was arrested as a form of intimidation and retaliation by Kurti's institutions so that the family would give up the dispute. Branko visited the Peja Patriarchate on several occasions without any problems, and today he was arrested on the eve of a court case led by his wife, which additionally shows the motives of this political arrest," Petkovic said.