An account of alleged police brutality has surfaced after a 16-year-old boy, identified as D., claimed he was physically assaulted by officers while in custody at the North Mitrovica police station. The incident reportedly took place in a room without cameras, with closed blinds and the lights off. But what does the KP have to say?
Arrest and Alleged Assault
Kosovo police detained six minors last night on suspicion of involvement in an interethnic incident in North Mitrovica.
The group included three Serbs, one Bosniak, and two Albanians. Three of the Serbian minors, all around 14 years old, were immediately released after being mistakenly detained. The remaining three were also released overnight due to their minor status, and the investigation is ongoing.
Shortly after his release, D., a 16-year-old Bosniak, spoke publicly outside the Mitrovica Health Center, where he had been taken by his parents. He alleged that he endured three hours of physical abuse at the hands of officers.
“I was walking near the old Poštanska Štedionica Bank when a police officer in full gear, accompanied by a man in civilian clothing, approached me. He pulled a gun on me and started yelling. I dropped to my knees, and he put the gun to my head,” D. recounted.
D. claimed that he was then pushed to the ground, handcuffed, and kicked—including in the head—before being taken to the police station.
Inside the station, officers allegedly demanded that he write down the names of his companions that evening, but he refused. According to his account, this refusal led to further violence.
“They started hitting me—on my head, my jaw, the back of my head, and my ribs,” D. alleged.
He described how the same officer who had arrested him entered the room and slapped him multiple times, yelling at him. When he provided only his name and birth date, the officer reportedly banged on the table in frustration, while another officer standing behind D. hit him in the back of the head.
A man in a cap, who was allegedly in civilian clothing, then entered the room and began shouting at D. before joining in the assault.
“He started punching me in the ribs, while another officer punched me in the head from across the table,” D. stated.
According to his testimony, he refused police demands to unlock his phone, insisting it was private. He then claimed that four officers turned off the lights, closed the blinds, and continued beating him.
“They kicked and punched me all over my body and head. I curled up on a chair to protect myself,” he said.
D. emphasized that he was held without the presence of his parents or a lawyer, despite being a minor.
Police Response: No Knowledge of Abuse
When questioned about the alleged abuse, Deputy Commander of the Kosovo Police for the North Region, Veton Elshani, confirmed that all detained minors had been released and that the investigation was ongoing. However, he denied having any knowledge of police mistreatment.
“If parents believe they have a complaint, they can report it to the Police Inspectorate. But so far, we have no information that officers assaulted anyone,” Elshani stated.
When pressed about D.’s testimony, he firmly denied that police would engage in such acts.
“We do not beat 15-year-olds. Police officers know this, and it is not in our interest to do so,” Elshani said.
Regarding allegations that detainees were taken to a room without cameras for beatings—a claim previously raised by local activist Miloš Subotić—Elshani dismissed the accusations.
“There are many rooms without cameras. That claim is not true,” he insisted.
He also denied reports that officers psychologically abuse detainees by provoking them or insisting on speaking in Albanian.
Three Serb Minors Detained in North Mitrovica Released After Police Admit Mistake
Preuzimanje i objavljivanje tekstova sa portala KoSSev nije dozvoljeno bez navođenja izvora. Hvala na poštovanju etike novinarske profesije.
