Gjilan/Gnjilane

Political parties were on the final day of a shortened election campaign this Friday as Kosovo voters in more than half the country's municipalities prepared to vote on Sunday in the second round of mayoral elections.

In a blow after its meteoric rise eight months ago, Kosovo's ruling Vetevendosje party will have to wait for the second round of local elections to see whether it has won control of any of the country's 38 municipalities.

Kosovo police officer stands at the entrance of the Agency for Development of Agriculture on a raid on February 24, 2021. Photo: BIRN

Confirming the arrests, Chief Prosecutor Aleksander Lumezi said that 10 of them are officials and two are ordinary citizens.

Jetish Maloku, the head of basic Prosecution in Gjilan/Gnjilan, told BIRN that five Serbs detained on Tuesday in raids at five different locations in the eastern town of Gjilan/Gnjilane, were released.

"They are free, we are investigating. We are analysing all the evidences that has been confiscated," he added.

Kosovo Police said they raided Serbian Red Cross centres on the authorisation of the courts on Wednesday night in Prizren, Pristina, Pejë/Pec, Gjilan/Gnjilane and Mitrovicë/Mitrovica.

"Seized documents are suspected to be related to a census, considered suspicious and in contradiction to the law, as a census should be conducted by Kosovo institutions," the police press release said.