Kosovo Confirms Arrest Warrants for 57 Serbians

Kosovo's Special Prosecution confirmed on Wednesday that it has issued 57 warrants for the arrest of Serbian citizens suspected of committing war crimes, but will not reveal the names of those who are wanted.

"According to requests for prosecution filed by local prosecutors, pre-trial judges at basic courts issued 57 local and international warrants," Special Prosecution spokesperson Liridona Kozmaqi told BIRN.

The European Union's rule-of-law mission in Kosovo, EULEX, said that only local judicial institutions are working on the investigations.

"EULEX is not involved in processing 57 arrest warrants, as reported in the media. These warrants are connected to the local cases currently being investigated by Kosovo prosecution," EULEX spokesperson Besa Domi told BIRN.

Special Prosecution spokesperson Kozmaqi stated however that the warrants were issued "upon the request of EULEX prosecutors".

But when asked for a second time, EULEX spokesperson Domi repeated: "EULEX denies involvement in these 57 warrants."

Serbian tabloid newspaper Informer reported on Tuesday that among the names on Kosovo's wanted list are Serbian ruling party officials.

Serbian Army chief of staff Ljubisa Dikovic and former police colonel Goran Radosavljevic were also reported to be on the list, but this has not been confirmed by the Kosovo prosecution.

Momir Stojanovic, a former MP from the ruling Progressive Party, is however on Interpol's publicly-available red list.

EULEX said in 2015 that Stojanovic is suspected of war crimes against civilians in the Djakovica/Gjakova area of Kosovo in 1999, although Serbia said it had no evidence against him.

Serbian news agency Tanjug has meanwhile reported that Serbia has also issued 100...