Six police officers have been suspended for 72 hours after failing to respond to the defacement of a mural in central North Mitrovica, authorities confirmed. The mural, dedicated to soldiers of the Serbian and Montenegrin army who fought in the Battle of Košare, was vandalized during the night by unidentified individuals.
The mural’s images of soldiers were painted over with black paint, leaving only the original inscription, “For this land, it’s worth dying for.” A new message, “peace,” was added beside it. Another nearby graffiti, bearing the letters „KMF,“ was also painted over.
However, murals depicting Patriarch Pavle and Metropolitan Amfilohije, located in close proximity, were reportedly left untouched due to intervention, said Aleksandar Arsenijević, leader of the Serbian Democracy party.
He was the first to report the incident, claiming that the perpetrators were hooded individuals, one of whom allegedly wore a sweatshirt bearing the insignia of Torcida, a fan group associated with Albanians in Mitrovica.
Vandalism Investigation Underway
The Kosovo Police confirmed that they are treating the incident as an act of vandalism.
Petrit Fejza, from the Northern Kosovo Police region, stated that surveillance footage captured the graffiti being defaced. However, the perpetrators have yet to be identified, and the investigation remains ongoing.
Fejza also revealed that the same group was responsible for defacing both murals.
Police Officers Suspended for Inaction
Notably, surveillance footage also recorded police officers, both in uniform and civilian attire, present in the vicinity during the act.
Despite their presence near the site, the officers failed to intervene. They later claimed not to have noticed the vandalism. As a result, six officers have been suspended while an internal investigation is conducted.
“They are visible on camera, both in uniforms and civilian clothes. They claim they didn’t see anything, but until the investigation is complete, they are suspended for 72 hours,” Fejza explained.
The Police Inspectorate of Kosovo has been informed and is expected to take over the case next week.
This area of North Mitrovica is known for its heavy police presence, both in uniform and plainclothes, and is under constant video surveillance.
Graffiti Honoring Serbian Soldiers Vandalized in North Mitrovica
The incident took place on Albanian Flag Day.
Preuzimanje i objavljivanje tekstova sa portala KoSSev nije dozvoljeno bez navođenja izvora. Hvala na poštovanju etike novinarske profesije.
