The Mayor of Klokot, Vladan Bogdanović, was detained today for over two hours by Kosovo Police at the Bela Zemlja border crossing, he confirmed to RTS.
Bogdanović stated he was traveling early this morning to Niš for a scheduled medical appointment when the incident occurred.
“I handed over my documents, and then police officers came out and detained me,” he said.
“They grabbed me by the arms and took me to the barracks at the crossing. I stood there for two and a half hours without any explanation, waiting for other officers to arrive.”
According to his account, plainclothes officers eventually arrived around 9 a.m., placed him in an unmarked vehicle, and informed him they were taking him to Gnjilane for questioning.
“When I asked why I was being detained and where I was being taken, they said I needed to give a statement and would be released afterward,” he said.
Shortly thereafter, Bogdanović told RTS, the officers received a phone call and released him.
“They returned my documents and phone, escorted me back to the crossing, allowed me to bypass the line, and I’m now back in Serbia,” he added.
Bogdanović emphasized that he lives and works in Klokot as mayor, and stressed that the police could have contacted him at his home or workplace if there had been any legitimate reason.
“If there is a reason, they can find me at home or at work. This is not the way to treat someone—detaining me at the crossing for two and a half hours. I’m 100% sure there’s nothing against me,” he said.
Earlier today, KoSSev reached out to Kosovo Police for a statement regarding the alleged detention of Bogdanović but had received no response or clarification at the time of publication.
The incident comes amid a series of detentions of ethnic Serb police officers (MIA Serbia members) from Kosovo over the past three days. From Friday to Sunday, five officers were arrested at various border crossings.
According to the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, four of them were forcibly expelled from Kosovo within 48 hours, had their personal documents confiscated, and were issued five-year bans from re-entering.
Read more:
Fast-Tracked Expulsions Raise Rule of Law Concerns in Kosovo
Another Serbian Police Officer Removed from Kosovo — Third Deportation in Recent Days
Another Serbian Police Officer Arrested at IBM
Second Serbian Police Officer Deported from Kosovo in One Day
Kosovo deports Serbian police officer after revoking his Kosovan citizenship
Preuzimanje i objavljivanje tekstova sa portala KoSSev nije dozvoljeno bez navođenja izvora. Hvala na poštovanju etike novinarske profesije.
