In a notable display of political dissent in North Mitrovica, Stefan Veljković, the vice president of the Serbian Democratic Party (Srpska demokratija), was briefly taken to a police station following a protest involving whistleblowing aimed at local and LVV officials. The incident unfolded first with a whistle directed at Armend Muja, a member of the Self-Determination Movement (Samoopredeljenje), and subsequently at Visar Syla, the chief of staff to the mayor of North Mitrovica.
Veljković reported that the Kosovo Police simultaneously confiscated the personal identification cards of two young men during the protest, claiming that these documents were later returned to him for redistribution after his release. The Kosovo Police, however, stated that Veljković’s removal was for “his safety” and to prevent a “larger issue” from arising.
The evening’s events were marked by Veljković’s loud whistle, which attracted attention as Muja visited the newly opened Missini pastry shop. Accompanied by police officers, Muja was escorted to the main Ibar Bridge, while Veljković continued to document the encounter, criticizing officials for their perceived anti-Serbian policies. Witnesses noted the presence of several men, presumed to be plainclothes officers, monitoring the situation.
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Coincidentally, journalists from the KoSSev news outlet were present to witness Veljković’s protest against Muja’s presence. “This is how every Kosovo official will be treated when they come to North Kosovo flaunting their authority while implementing anti-Serbian policies and oppressing citizens,” Veljković stated.
Syla had previously filed a criminal complaint against the leader of the Serbian Democratic Party, Aleksandar Arsenijević, specifically for whistleblowing, which led to his arrest and a court-imposed restraining order. The Serbian Democratic Party condemned the arrest, stating that their leader was merely expressing protest and that their rights were being violated in this manner.
Following this protest, Veljković turned his attention to Visar Syla, who had previously filed a criminal complaint against Aleksandar Arsenijević, the leader of the Serbian Democratic Party, for similar whistleblowing protests, which resulted in Arsenijević’s arrest and subsequent court-imposed restraining order. Veljković asserted that Syla had provocatively engaged with citizens, prompting his group to respond similarly.
The police intervened during Veljković’s protest, detaining him and confiscating his ID, along with those of a few other young men. Upon his release, Veljković confirmed that no formal charges were pressed against him, despite police indicating they might do so for disturbing the public peace. He recounted his interaction with police officers, who failed to specify any legal grounds for the potential citation.
After leaving the police station, Veljković was seen holding three ID cards—his own and two that he claimed had been taken from the other young men. As he departed, he encountered two individuals heading to the police station to reclaim their confiscated documents.
Veton Elshani, deputy commander of the Kosovo Police, confirmed to KoSSev that Veljković had been taken for questioning but was not arrested. He emphasized that the action was taken to maintain order amid public complaints about the noise from the whistles. “We acted to prevent any escalation of the situation,” Elshani stated, underscoring that Veljković was released shortly after and had not been detained.
When questioned about Veljković’s claim that police returned the confiscated IDs to him for distribution to the original owners, Elshani remarked that such actions should not occur, yet insisted there was no ill intent behind the police’s actions. He pledged to investigate whether the individuals involved were indeed the same young men seen with Veljković.
Preuzimanje i objavljivanje tekstova sa portala KoSSev nije dozvoljeno bez navođenja izvora. Hvala na poštovanju etike novinarske profesije.
