March 31, 2012
1175 Lexime
The Serbian members of the Gendarmerie, this morning at 10:30/am arrested two members of the KPS (Kosovo Police Service) in the area of Merdare, said Interior Minister Ivica Dacic, in a press conference in Belgrade. They were arrested with two automatic rifles, two pistols and special equipment to measure distances. Dacic stressed that this is a drastic violation of the military-technical agreement signed in Kumanovo 1999.
Belgrade, SERBIA / Pristina, KOSOVO – by Vedat Xhymshiti
Saturday, March 31, 2012 | The IndependenTNewsweeK
Saturday, March 31, 2012 | The IndependenTNewsweeK
“What they’re looking for in Central Serbia and by whom it was to deal,” asked Dacic, adding that Serbia will not tolerate such actions.
Shukri Binaku and Sami Beqiri, were arrested Dacic told reporters at the Palace of Serbia, after meeting with the families of Serbian policemen from eastern Kosovo, who are now were released today by a decision of the Supreme Court released from prison in Pristina and Gjilan, where they were in custody from 25 February, arrested on suspicion of undermining the constitutional order of Kosovo.
Serbian interior minister called on UNMIK, KFOR and EULEX to speak about the incident and said that anyone who so violates the Kumanovo Military Technical Agreement will be arrested.
The four Serbs were arrested in Kosovo for carrying material to be used for Serbian local elections on May 6 – elections that Kosovo has vowed to prevent. During the police raids of their homes, Kosovo police also arrested Jovica Balosevic, who was in front of the house of one of the other arrested men when the raid started. Balosevic was released on Thursday.
Serbian police on Wednesday then arrested two Kosovo Albanians. Abazi, president of the Metalworkers Union, was arrested for alleged espionage, while Adem Urseli was arrested for drug smuggling. Both sets of arrests have drawn criticism from non-governmental organizations that call the arrests politically motivated and say they are based on the men’s ethnic background.
The Union of Independent Trade Unions of Kosovo has condemned the arrest of its member, Abazi. “We hope his release will happen as soon as possible,” a press release from the union said. Serbian deputies in Kosovo’s parliament have said they will leave parliament if the arrested Serbs are not released.
“Anyone jeopardizing Serbia’s constitutional order will be arrested,” Dacic vowed. “We’ll treat them as they treat us. I’m not that religious to turn other cheek – the one who hits will get a response,” Dacic added.
On the other hand, Kosovo says its police have a duty to arrest Serbs who attempt to organize Serbian elections to Kosovo, as these breach the laws of the country.
“The government has declared Serbian elections illegal, so their organizers or those who try to organize them will be treated for illegal activity, according to the law,” Deputy Prime Minister Hajredin Kuçi said on Wednesday.
Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi said his government would crack down on Serbian plans to hold ballots inside Kosovo, adding that he will use all “legal and constitutional means to stop this aggression by Serbia against Kosovo”.
More than 80 countries, including the United States and 22 of the EU’s 27 members, have recognized the state, which is the last to emerge from the remains of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. However Russia, Serbia’s old-time ally, has blocked a United Nations Security Council resolution on the country’s independence and emergence as a free state.
But Serbia maintains that Kosovo remains part of Serbia, which is why it says it has a right and duty to hold elections there. Abandoning Serbian-run “parallel institutions” in Kosovo is a condition that Brussels has set before Serbia, if the country wishes to get a start date for accession talks with the EU.
