On Monday, Serbia released three Kosovar police officers after accusations from Pristina they were “kidnapped” from within Kosovo’s territory, with President Vjosa Osmani thanking the US for their input but calling for Serbia to be held accountable.
The officers were arrested on 15 June. While Pristina says they were 300-500 metres within Kosovo’s territory, Serbia, which considers Kosovo a province and does not recognise its independence, says they were arrested inside Serbia.
On Monday, the First Secretary of the Liasion Office of Kosovo in Belgrade, Fatmir Haxholli, said the three officials appeared in court in Kraleve but have now been released.
“Every second lost until their return to the Republic of Kosovo, at the top of their duties, constitutes an impulse and irrational behaviour to camouflage a bizarre act”, said Haxholli in a post on Facebook.
Osmani also reacted, calling the incident a “flagrant act of aggression against Kosovo and a violation of the Military Technical Agreement with NATO.”
“Many thanks to our partners who made this release possible, in particular the US,” she added, noting that the release does not absolve Serbia of its responsibility.
The EU and the US have been called out for calling the incident a detention, with British MP Alicia Kearns stating for Euronews that “ The unwillingness of countries, well organisations like the EU to call it arbitrary or illegal detention, to recognise that kidnapping has taken place or for any punishment to be put in place, is unforgivable.”
Early elections in north Kosovo next step, EU says
New early local elections in northern Kosovo are the next step to defuse the simmering crisis between Belgrade and Pristina, EU’s chief diplomat Josep Borrell said on Monday (26 June) as the EU welcomed the release of three kidnapped Kosovan policemen.
Serbian authorities said they are suspected of committing the criminal office of illegal possession and trafficking of weapons and explosives, carrying a penalty of up to 12 years. Pristina said the officers were on duty and monitoring a known smuggling route between Kosovo and Serbia.
Prime Minister Albin Kurti said Serbia must be held accountable.
“We confirm that the three kidnapped policemen have been released. Although we are happy that they are returning to their families, this abduction constitutes a serious violation of human rights and must be reprimanded. The Serbian aggression must bear responsibility,” he wrote on Twitter.
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, who threatened a cool in Albania-Serbia relations in the police officers were not released, also reacted to the news.
“The return of the Kosovo policemen home is delayed news, but still very good, because the first one puts an end to the arbitrary deprivation of liberty of three people who have not committed any crime, and the second one reopens the way for escalation of the dialogue,” he said.
He added that during a meeting in Brussels today with European Council President Charles Michel, he will discuss the concerning situation in the region.
“Unfortunately, lately, both sides have their eyes on the front of domestic politics and polls fueled by nationalist rhetoric…Meanwhile, the situation in the north degrades by the hour and by the minute, increasing the possibility of a Balkan “Donbas” in the heart of Europe. This possibility is catastrophic to even think about, so it must be eliminated at all costs,” Rama said.
He also said he hopes for long-awaited de-escalation from Serbia and Kosovo, leading to the resolution of “knots” in the normalisation process.
(Alice Taylor | Exit.al)
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