Ibishi calls for EU intervention over Serbia’s arbitrary detentions of Kosovars

Security expert Nuredin Ibishi has called on the European Union to respond to the detention of Kosovo citizens by Serbian authorities, saying that Serbia is restricting their freedom of movement without any legal basis.

In an interview with EO, he stressed that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora should issue an official position on the matter, while the case should also be raised in European Union institutions.

“I would like this to be the position of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, to in some way appeal to citizens, but I am calling for something that is necessary in any case. That is the international route, whether through Serbia or in other countries. Serbia is part of the European Union’s free movement system and every complaint of ours should be addressed to the European Union so that it can, in some way, exert influence, reciprocally, and even make their free movement conditional as well. Just as Serbia is making it conditional for our citizens without any pretext,” he said.

Speaking about the appeal by the Kosovo Liberation Army War Veterans’ Organization to avoid passing through Serbia, Ibishi said such a recommendation is justified for former KLA members.

“Now there are several issues. The War Veterans’ Organization has appealed that members of the Kosovo Liberation Army should avoid it, which is appropriate, because since the post-war period they have started issuing arrest warrants everywhere for KLA members from Kosovo and they will certainly take measures while claiming various proceedings,” he said.

According to Ibishi, other citizens do not necessarily need to avoid transiting through Serbia, but they should be cautious while traveling.

“But other citizens should by no means avoid that destination, but should be careful. The various posts they make are being monitored by Serbia’s intelligence service, and it is also everywhere in cooperation with the police, carrying out detentions, harassment, police custody and other actions,” he said.

He also commented on the case publicized by lawyer Arianit Koci, according to which a citizen from Kosovo claims he was forced to give 2,000 euros to Serbian police officers to avoid arrest.

“As for this latest case that happened, I think it is a matter of corruption within Serbia’s police, which in this specific case had absolutely no basis to ask for 2,000 euros. For what reason? Meaning perhaps that is a matter of a court decision, it is not an administrative decision or a fine. There is no such fine, for what reason or under what pretext,” he said.

Ibishi repeated that the European Union should take measures against the actions of the Serbian authorities, warning that this situation could also produce reciprocity.

“But of course we must also appeal to the European Union to take measures against Serbia, because they have free movement everywhere, even in Kosovo, and this will lead to reciprocal measures. Now I am not saying that measures should be taken against the citizens of Serbia, but the reality is that Serbia is arbitrarily stopping our citizens without any basis, arresting them, placing them in police custody, pretrial detention and other measures, and in the end releasing them without a court decision,” he said.

On July 1, Osman Selmani was arrested at the Mutivodë border crossing. Although Serbian institutions initially presented him as a former KLA soldier, the War Veterans’ Organization clarified on Friday that Selmani is not listed as having been part of the KLA and called on citizens to avoid crossing through Serbia.

On the other hand, lawyer Arianit Koci has announced that a citizen from Kosovo claims he was forced to give 2,000 euros to Serbian police officers at the Batrovc/Bajakovo border crossing. According to him, he was threatened with arrest and pretrial detention after photos with the Albanian flag and the KLA flag were found on his children’s phones during an inspection.