Lawyer Gjini files criminal complaint against Serbian Minister Paunović, calls for INTERPOL involvement

Lawyer Gent Gjini has filed a criminal complaint with Kosovo’s Special Prosecution against Serbian Minister Snezhana Paunović. He has called for the involvement of international mechanisms, including INTERPOL, as well as the issuance of an international arrest warrant against her.

According to Gjini, Paunović’s actions and statements are concerning, particularly because she holds a position in Serbia’s current government. He said the case should also be handled at the international level and that proceedings should be initiated for an international arrest warrant against the minister, whom he described as irresponsible and chauvinistic.

“Her actions concern us because it must be understood that this minister is part of the current government. This affects us. International actors such as INTERPOL must necessarily be involved, and proceedings for an international arrest warrant must be initiated against this irresponsible and chauvinistic minister. Once she is apprehended, we will also seek assistance from the UN mission and NATO, because given that she speaks of ethnic cleansing against Albanians, it must be understood that NATO liberated us from Milošević’s bloody ethnic cleansing,” Gjini said.

The lawyer believes that the Serbian minister’s statements not only affect Albanians, but also pose a risk to NATO’s mission in Kosovo. He also called for Paunović to be removed from her ministerial post.

“Her statement not only concerns us, but puts us at risk as a population, taking us back to those bad Serbian memories, of those who carried out ethnic cleansing. On the other hand, it also endangers NATO’s mission, because it is here as a peacekeeping force and her very statement should be an alarm bell for the UN mission. NATO should also be concerned, since our security is still in its hands. This minister should resign and there should be European and broader diplomatic pressure. I saw yesterday in her statement that she apologised to President Vučić and her government, but she did not apologise to Albanians,” Gjini said.

He described the Interior Ministry’s decision to declare Paunović persona non grata as ridiculous, saying that such a measure does not correspond to the consequences that, according to him, her statements could have for the people, the constitutional order and public order.

“The Republic of Kosovo has taken a legal initiative to declare her persona non grata; this is ridiculous in relation to the consequences it poses for us as a people and to the fact that it undermines the constitutional and public order… I will demand that the Special Prosecution become active, seek the assistance of the FBI and INTERPOL, and that she be apprehended as soon as possible,” he said.

Paunović herself apologised to Vučić for her scandalous statements, but not to Albanians.

Her statements regarding the ethnic cleansing of Kosovo were made last weekend during a programme on Serbia’s Kurir.

On Thursday, an official request was also submitted for her dismissal from the post of minister in Serbia.