Tensions flared again on Tuesday following the arrest of an individual suspected of attacking police in the north of the country as ethnic Serbs attacked Kosovo police with stones, while Prime Minister Albin Kurti called for the rule of law to be restored.
According to footage, the Kosovo police car was hit with stones and blocked from moving from the vicinity. The attack came alongside the increased presence of Serbs in North Mitrovica, wearing masks.
Milun Milenkovic-Lune, leader of the Civil Protection group, was arrested on Tuesday on suspicion of organising the attack on KFOR on 29 May. The attack saw more than 30 KFOR troops injured, along with police and journalists.
“Kosovo Police today arrested Milun Milenkovic-Lune, one of the leaders of the criminal formation ‘Civil Defense’ and the leader of criminal gangs that over the years have terrorized our citizens attacked members of the Kosovo Police and the institutions of the Republic of Kosovo. The same person was also the main organizer of the attacks against the forces of KFOR and the Kosovo Police in Zveçan”, said Interior Minister Xelal Svecla.
He added that the time of criminal gangs in the north of the country is over and all of those who have violated security must face justice.
During the arrest of the suspect, Kosovo police officers came under attack and three were slightly injured.
Kosovo’s Minister of Justice Albulena Haxhiu requested that criminals in the north, responsible for disrupting the peace, be identified immediately and prosecuted for their actions.
“The first point in Prime Minister Kurti’s letter: Immediately ensure/establish the rule of law in the four municipalities in the north of the Republic of Kosovo, including, among other things, the identification, prosecution and fair trial of all members of criminal groups who have attacked the Kosovo Police, NATO members and journalists,” the minister wrote on Facebook.
She noted that some members of the criminal groups were in custody, but others were released pending further investigations.
Criminal activity remains an issue in the north of Kosovo, including human trafficking, drug trafficking, arms trafficking, and illegal cryptocurrency mining.
Last week, an individual was arrested under suspicion of smuggling and also threatening Deputy Mayor of Leposavic, Dragana Miletic.
Prime Minister Albin Kurti has long condemned the criminality in the north and said they are attributable to “illegal structures transformed into criminal gangs financially and politically supported by Belgrade.”
In a recent letter to the EU’s chief diplomat Josep Borrell, Kurti said that it is essential to reestablish the rule of law in the region.
“The situation in the north is not normal for a long time, but the escalation on 29 May makes it urgent to bring to justice all those who used violence against the Kosovo police, KFOR and the media,” the bullet point reads.
The second step would involve “violent groups” being “immediately withdrawn from Kosovo’s territory and any criminal act against Kosovo’s institutions is stopped.”
Kurti said in a press conference following a meeting with QUINT representatives that the matter of the rule of law is the first step, inviting EULEX to monitor all court proceedings. Police presence in the north will be reduced accordingly once criminal acts against Kosovo institutions are reduced.
He added he had not yet had a response from Borrell on the matter, but was expecting one soon.
Belgrade’s reaction to the arrest was swift and harsh with Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić speaking to three American senators, Chris Murphy, Jeanne Shaheen and Pete Rickets, his office said in a press statement.
“Today’s arrest is clearly and unequivocally a provocation and crime by Albin Kurti, who is trying to cause a war in the heart of Europe. Serbia is doing everything to maintain peace, but Serbs in Kosovo have been subjected to the worst persecution in the past 15 years”, Vučić said.
The senators called on Serbia to be reserved and call for peace, in line with the interest of the whole Western Balkans.
Vučić will meet Quint representatives on Wednesday morning.
Petar Petković, director for the Office for Kosovo, said that Kurti showed with his statements and actions that he is interested in conflicts and war.
“He is a prominent athlete, coach of the kick-boxing club, has no criminal record and is not a criminal. They targeted random passers-by, they held them at gunpoint with long barrels. It is Kurti’s police that serves to harass the Serbian people. The arrests took place while the families of Radoš and Dušan were having a peaceful protest. Lune is not a criminal, what Lune has are numerous medals,” said Petković.
According to him, Kurti created a state of siege in Kosovska Mitrovica.
“Lune was chased by the Kosovo police for months because he is a fighter for Serbian interests. During the arrest, a state of siege was created, a large number entered the northern part, the police threw tear gas at people on the streets and aimed at random passers-by,” Petković said.
(Alice Taylor | Exit.al, Bojana Zimonjic Jelisavac | EURACTIV.rs)
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