Graffiti Honoring Serbian Soldiers Vandalized in North Mitrovica

Last night, a mural commemorating soldiers of the Army of Serbia and Montenegro who fought in the Battle of Kosare was defaced in the heart of North Mitrovica.

The black-and-white artwork, which featured images of the soldiers, was painted over with black paint, erasing the figures while leaving the original message, “For this land, it’s worth dying”. A new addition, the word “peace”, was scrawled nearby.

Another mural in the pedestrian zone, bearing the inscription KMF, was similarly targeted.

Eyewitness Accounts and Allegations

Aleksandar Arsenijević, leader of the Serbian Democracy Party, was among the first to report the incident. He claimed that the perpetrators concealed their identities with hoods and that one appeared to wear a hoodie featuring the logo of Torcida, an Albanian fan group based in Mitrovica.

Arsenijević also stated that the group of the man allegedly attempted to paint over another mural honoring Serbian Patriarch Pavle and Metropolitan Amfilohije, but were thwarted.

The area where the defacing took place is under constant surveillance, with Kosovo Police officers present in uniform and plain clothes, and the streets monitored by cameras. Arsenijević noted that three police patrols were reportedly in the vicinity during the incident, and he briefly spoke with them.

The act occurred on Albanian Flag Day, a significant date for ethnic Albanians.

How did this mural look before:

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Police Response

When asked if the police had identified the perpetrators, Deputy Commander for the North Region, Veton Elshani, told KoSSev:

„For now, we do not know, but the police are consulting with the prosecutor, who will decide if there are grounds to open a case.“

Elshani confirmed that claims regarding the police’s proximity to the graffiti at the time of the incident are under review.

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