Kosovo Arrests Another Suspect for Attacks on KFOR

Kosovo Police announced on Friday that it arrested a Kosovo Serb, N.O., known as Nemac and/or Rus, suspected of participating in violent clashes between Serb protesters and the NATO peacekeeping mission in Kosovo, KFOR, on May 29, in the Serb-majority northern municipality of Zvecan.

"His arrest … was carried out after obtaining evidence that he was involved in the attack on KFOR on May 29, 2023, where as a result of the attacks and the violence displayed, dozens of KFOR members suffered bodily injury. All further actions will be undertaken in cooperation and coordination with the justice bodies," the announcement reads.

However, Serbia's Office for Kosovo said the arrest "was not coincidentally timed on the morning after the dialogue in Brussels", and that it "shows that [Kosovo PM] Albin Kurti will not calm tensions in the north of Kosovo … will not de-escalate, but wants new crises and tensions".

The arrest came the morning after EU High Representative Josep Borrell said in Brussels that "arbitrary or unrightful arrests or mistreatment of prisoners is completely unacceptable," adding that "our [European Union] civilian mission - our EULEX mission in Kosovo - will play a more robust role in monitoring in this context".

Borrell spoke after he and the EU special envoy for Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, Miroslav Lajcak, held talks with Serbian President Alaksander Vucic and Kosovo PM Kurti.

"I presented to [the Prime Minister of] Kosovo some allegations about the treatment of prisoners and the reason for some detentions, and I asked for a thorough investigation and evaluation of this situation, and to take the appropriate measures," Borrell told the media on Thursday.

BIRN asked the Kosovo Interior Ministry about Borrell's claims...