The three Kosovo police officers detained by Serbian authorities in Kosovo will not escape without charge, said President Aleksandar Vucic amid growing calls from the international community to release.
According to Kosovo authorities, the police officers were near an illegal smuggling route some 300-500 metres within Kosovo territory when Serbian authorities apprehended them. Serbia, which does not recognise the border with Kosovo, instead calling it an administrative line as it does not recognise Kosovo’s independence, says the officers were within its territory and about to commit a crime.
A week after the incident, the US said Serbia must “immediately and unconditionally release the three Kosovo policemen detained by Serbia,” yet Belgrade is still to comply.
Vucic said over the weekend, he has evidence that officers were in Serbia. He also announced an upcoming meeting with the Serbs of Kosovo.
“We will not allow the pogrom of our population, but let’s avoid our intervention as much as we can because war is not a solution,’ he said. Vucic also claimed Kosovo is building an army equipped with Turkish weapons without providing evidence.
The president also told Pink TV that he thinks Kurti wants war.
“He wants everything to happen that I want to avoid. We have not reached the peak of escalation of the crisis in Kosovo, as some think, but Kurti wants war. He prays for something like this,” he said.
His comments came after a video of an arrested Serb being interrogated, shirtless and with a black bag over his head, was viewed online. Serbian authorities have asked for arrested Serbs to be released and called the footage a human rights violation, while EU Delegation chief Emanuele Giaufret said that the bloc is deeply concerned over the situation.
Pristina responded to the incident and said it is being fully investigated while also highlighting the continued detention of Kosovo police officers in what it calls ‘kidnap’.
Regarding the police officers, US Congressman Ritchie Torres told Euronews Albania that the EU has been too silent, leading to a perception of double standards.
“And notice that the European Union has said nothing about the apprehension of the Kosovar police officers at the hands of the Serbian regime. So there’s a real perception of a double standard within the Albanian diaspora and among elected officials who support the Albanian diaspora, such as myself,” Torres said.
He called the silence from the EU “deafening” and “inexplicable”.
“The silence from the European Union is deafening, and it’s inexplicable to me. What is the West going to gain from a policy of appeasing an autocratic Serbia and alienating a democratic Kosovo?” he asked.
(Alice Taylor | Exit.al, Bojana Zimonjic | EURACTIV.rs)
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