Aleksandar Arsenijević, leader of the Serbian Democracy Party, was arrested once again in North Mitrovica after a protest involving the symbolic act of whistling, a form of political dissent frequently employed by his party. This arrest marks a significant escalation in tensions between the party and local authorities, as Arsenijević now faces a 48-hour detention on charges of harassment, a step beyond the brief detentions he had previously experienced. Arsenijević’s arrest and subsequent detention were met with criticism from both the party and a group of civic society activists, who have called for his immediate release.
The incident occurred when Arsenijević, accompanied by fellow party activists, followed Mitrovica’s mayor, Erden Atić, and his advisor, Visar Syla, along a city street while blowing a whistle.
This form of protest has become synonymous with the Serbian Democracy Party’s opposition to the current local and central government, which Arsenijević refers to as an „outpost of Self-Determination,“ the ruling party in Kosovo.
He has consistently labeled Atić’s mayoralty as illegitimate.
Arsenijević’s protest took place as Atić and Syla visited a local bakery. Despite the commotion caused by the whistling, Atić declined to comment when approached by a reporter from the KoSSev news portal. In contrast, Arsenijević reiterated that the whistle protest was a direct response to what he described as an „illegitimate mayor.“
Following the protest, Arsenijević was taken into custody.
Veton Elshani, the deputy commander of the Kosovo Police for the northern region, confirmed the arrest, citing harassment charges.
However, what makes this arrest particularly noteworthy is that it was carried out on the direct order of a prosecutor, resulting in a 48-hour detention, a legal escalation for Arsenijević, who had previously been released after similar protests.
Elshani stated, “Based on the prosecutor’s order, we interrogated Arsenijević for harassment and imposed a 48-hour detention as instructed by the prosecutor.”
The detention took place in the southern part of Mitrovica, where Arsenijević was formally questioned.
Serbian Democracy: „Violation of Right to Protest“
The Serbian Democracy Party quickly condemned the arrest, arguing that the Kosovo authorities had taken a further step toward escalating tensions in the north. The party views the detention as a violation of Arsenijević’s right to protest, which is protected under Kosovo’s constitution.
“Today, the Kosovo authorities have taken another step toward escalation in the north of Kosovo — imposing a 48-hour detention on Serbian Democracy President Aleksandar Arsenijević for expressing his dissatisfaction by whistling in the presence of the illegitimate mayor of North Mitrovica, Erden Atić,” the party stated.
The party emphasized that Arsenijević was arrested under Article 182 of the Kosovo Penal Code, which addresses harassment, and expressed concerns about the application of this law in Arsenijević’s case. According to the law, harassment includes actions intended to intimidate, harm, or cause severe distress to another person.
However, the party insists that the whistle protests are peaceful, with the sole purpose of expressing dissatisfaction with what they perceive as illegal decisions made by Kosovo’s officials.
“Today’s arrest and detention violated the right to protest guaranteed by Article 43 of the Kosovo Constitution, which clearly states that every person has the right to organize gatherings, protests, and demonstrations, as well as to participate in them,” the party added.
Suppression of Political Activism
The Serbian Democracy Party further argued that the arrest represents an attempt to suppress political activism and exert pressure on the Serbian community in the region.
“This is an effort to suppress political activity, with the message that Serbian citizens will face immediate arrest if they oppose the discriminatory policies of the Kosovo government,” the statement read.
The party has called on the international community to intervene urgently, citing concerns over the suppression of free speech, expression, and the right to protest in Kosovo.
Since August, Arsenijević has been arrested five times, mostly for similar acts of protest during visits by central and local government representatives. He has frequently led whistle protests, particularly during visits by ministers from Pristina and even Kosovo’s prime minister.
CSO Representatives Condemn, Demand Immediate Release
In the meantime, 18 civil society representatives condemned Arsenijević’s latest arrest, characterizing it as politically motivated. They demanded his immediate release.
“We strongly condemn the politically motivated detention of Serbian Democracy Party leader Aleksandar Arsenijević following his peaceful protest against North Mitrovica Mayor Erden Atić,” the civil society representatives said.
They further described the classification of the protest under Article 182 as „absurd,“ arguing that the provision pertains to acts intended to intimidate or endanger a person’s safety, which they insist was not the case in Arsenijević’s protest. They highlighted that his actions posed no threat to anyone’s safety, citing video evidence of the event.
“This move by the Kosovo authorities is a direct attack on freedom of speech and the right to protest and should serve as a warning to the entire Kosovan society,” the statement concluded.
The civil society activists have urged international organizations to respond swiftly to what they see as an infringement of democratic rights, demanding Arsenijević’s immediate release.
Signatories of the statement include prominent activists such as Boban Simić, Dimitrije Obrenović, Dragiša Mijačić, Dušan Radaković, Ilda Krama, Jovana Radosavljević, Marko Milenković, Marko Trajković, Miodrag Milićević, Milica Andrić Rakić, Milica Radovanović, Miodrag Marinković, Nataša Denović, Teodora Živanović, Tijana Grujić, Vladan Trifić, Žarko Krtinić and Zoran Savić.
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