Arrests of veterans in North Macedonia prompt calls for action from Kosovo institutions

Traveling through North Macedonia ended with Kosovo Liberation Army veteran Fadil Pushkolli being questioned by security authorities.

Pushkolli’s case is not the only instance in which a former KLA member has been detained by Macedonian police.

In July 2024, former KLA soldier Blerim Ramadani was arrested at the Jazhinci border crossing. He later escaped from house arrest in Skopje.

According to former KSF commander Kadri Kastrati, these cases have made North Macedonia an unsafe country for KLA veterans.

“I have personally communicated with several of my friends who live there, including the former speaker of parliament, Mr. Xhaferi, as well as other people. I asked them whether there was a risk when traveling through Macedonia, and they advised me not to travel through it. So, the risk exists,” he said.

The KLA War Veterans Organization has also called on fellow veterans to exercise increased caution when traveling to this neighboring country.

“From here, we call on them, especially, not to travel through Serbia. As for the recent problems in Macedonia, we have also had cases in Croatia and Montenegro. Croatia is an exception, where Serbia has influence, so we must be careful and avoid unnecessary travel, because these countries are not safe,” Fatmir Sopi declared.

Faced with this situation, Kadri Kastrati called on Kosovo’s institutions to take concrete steps.

“The Government of the Republic of Kosovo, the prime minister, the minister of foreign affairs and the minister of internal affairs must contact their counterparts in the Republic of Macedonia. They must verify whether Serbia has handed a domestic list to the Macedonian authorities and whether these individuals appear not in Interpol, but in the neighboring country’s internal database. However, our government is asleep,” Kastrati said.

The KLA War Veterans Organization shares the same position, assessing that ensuring freedom of movement is the responsibility of state institutions.

“It is the duty of our institutions to ensure free movement. This issue falls under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Internal Affairs, which must coordinate with friendly states and countries that have recognized us, so that citizens can travel freely. Otherwise, there is nothing we can do individually,” Sopi said.

After being questioned by the Macedonian authorities, Fadil Pushkolli was released immediately.