Former serviceman on Vučević’s reaction to the arrests: Serbia is politicizing the issue

The chairman of the SNS, Miloš Vučević, reacted angrily after nine Serbs suspected of war crimes were detained in Zubin Potok.

Vučević accused Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti of “terror and intimidation” against Serbs in the north, while warning that Serbia would not remain silent about what is happening in Kosovo.

In comments to “Bota sot,” former serviceman Hafir Hoxha said the arrests should not have been carried out at this time, given the election campaign in Serbia.

According to Hoxha, the SNS leader’s reaction diverts attention from the legal aspect of the case and places it in a political context, portraying the operation as pressure on Kosovo’s Serbs.

He stressed that arrests should be based on evidence and individual responsibility. Suspicions of war crimes, he added, should be examined by the justice system regardless of the suspects’ ethnic background.

“If I were in the position of the Kosovo officials dealing with these matters and had the tactical room to act, I would not carry out the arrests now, while Serbia is in the middle of an election campaign.

Miloš Vučević’s strong reaction after the detention of nine suspects in Zubin Potok cannot be viewed simply as a response to a legal matter. In his statements, Vučević directly linked the action by Kosovo’s institutions to a broader political position: he accused Albin Kurti of ‘terror’ and ‘intimidation’ against Serbs in the north and said that Serbia would not remain silent. Such accusations are repeated whenever the state takes measures over criminal acts involving people of Serbian ethnicity.

This is where the political side of the reaction also becomes apparent. Arrests over suspicions of war crimes should be assessed on the basis of evidence and individual responsibility. An arrest in itself does not mean that the detained persons are guilty. However, Vučević shifted the discussion from judicial procedures to the political confrontation between Serbia and Kosovo, presenting the case as part of ongoing pressure on the Serbian community in Kosovo.

This language could increase political tensions, as an issue that should be handled by judicial bodies becomes a confrontation between the two sides. A distinction must be made between criticism of the way arrests are carried out and opposition to the investigation of war crimes. If there is evidence of individual responsibility, it should be examined by the justice system, regardless of the suspects’ ethnic background,” Hoxha said.

Hoxha views Vučević’s reaction as linked to the Serbian political narrative concerning Serbs in Kosovo, but stresses that, without concrete evidence, it cannot be said that the aim is to incite tensions.

He called on Kosovo’s institutions to plan their actions better, take Serbia’s reaction into account and involve international partners, so that they have support and clear arguments.

“Vučević’s reaction can also be seen as an attempt to place the arrests within Serbia’s broader political narrative concerning the situation of Serbs in Kosovo. But in the absence of concrete evidence regarding his motives, it cannot be stated as a fact that the direct aim is to create tensions. What can be observed is the use of a legal event in a much broader political debate, which makes it more difficult to separate justice from the confrontation between Belgrade and Pristina.

We must learn to prepare our arguments and facts in advance when it is known exactly how Serbia will react. We should try to carry out activities at a time that does not serve Serbian politics and involve international partners in these operations as well, so that they are informed, without jeopardizing the outcome of the intervention, and have facts and arguments in our favor,” Hoxha concluded in comments to “Bota sot.”