In a series of escalating actions, Kosovo Police today sealed the premises of the Provisional Authority of Srbica Municipality in North Mitrovica.
At approximately 6 p.m., Kosovo police officers, with EULEX in attendance, removed various equipment from the building located on King Petar Street, including computers and a red box, suspected to contain important documentation.
EULEX personnel then left the scene, and the police placed a padlock on the front door. A yellow tape was also stretched across the gate, marking the closure. Kosovo Police then also vacated the site.
Prethodno su pripadnici Kosovske policije u prisustvu Eulexa izneli iz ovih prostorija opremu, pre svega ralunare, kao i crvenu kutiju za koju se pretpostavlja da je u njoj bičs dokumentaciju pic.twitter.com/msULjBIomY
— KoSSev/Kosovo Sever portal (@KoSSevnews) October 16, 2024
The head of this provisional authority, Vasilije Tomašević, was also present at the scene but declined to speak to the media, expressing frustration at being filmed and asking reporters to lower their cameras out of respect for his family.
The Sequence of Events
This action follows reports earlier in the day from Serbia’s Office for Kosovo and Metohija, which claimed that Kosovo police had entered the building, expelled the staff, and closed the premises, citing „illegal and unconstitutional activities.“
According to the Office’s statement, police officers in civilian clothing sealed the office earlier in the day and removed staff from the premises.
„Members of Kurti’s Kosovo Police entered the premises of the Provisional Administrative Unit of Srbica Municipality today and sealed them. Four plainclothes police officers removed staff from the building, stating that the institution was engaged in ‘illegal and unconstitutional activities,'“ the Office for Kosovo and Metohija reported.
A reporter from the scene confirmed that earlier in the day, the building was locked, but no visible signs of sealing were apparent. Police inspectors nearby unofficially confirmed that they had visited the premises in the morning, informing those present that their activities were illegal. However, they did not take further action at that time, awaiting a prosecutor’s order.
„We were here this morning and politely informed them that they were operating illegally and should not be here. We didn’t close anything at that time and left afterward. But now, we’ve seen media reports from Belgrade stating that we entered the building, so we’re waiting for the prosecutor’s order before we proceed,“ one police inspector stated earlier for KoSSev.
Preuzimanje i objavljivanje tekstova sa portala KoSSev nije dozvoljeno bez navođenja izvora. Hvala na poštovanju etike novinarske profesije.
