The Basic Court in Pristina yesterday convicted Igor Popović, Assistant Director of the Serbian Government’s Office for Kosovo and Metohija, of inciting discord and intolerance, following a plea agreement he reached with the Kosovo Special Prosecution. He was fined €3,000, deported, and banned from entering Kosovo for two years. However, upon crossing into central Serbia, Popović publicly denied the existence of any deal with “Kurti’s judiciary” and rejected any admission of guilt. Serbia’s Ministry of Justice claimed Popović signed the agreement under duress, calling it invalid and without legal effect in Serbia’s legal system or under international law.
“I have just crossed the administrative line. It was a difficult period, but no more difficult than what other Serbs, unjustly imprisoned, go through. Let’s be clear—there is no agreement with Kurti’s judiciary because I do not recognize any guilt for what I said,” Popović told Kosovo Online.
He stressed he stood by his statements made in Orahovac—where he referred to members of the KLA as “terrorists”—and dismissed the proceedings as the product of “politically instrumentalized justice from Pristina” with no legal force.
Arrest and Proceedings
Popović was arrested on July 18 at the Brnjak crossing, after delivering a speech in Velika Hoca. Prosecutors charged him with inciting discord and intolerance. On August 5, he reached a plea agreement with the prosecution; his defense waived the right to appeal.
Despite earlier condemnation of the arrest, conditions placed on dialogue with Pristina for his release, and President Aleksandar Vučić’s announcement of a “firm response,” no official reaction followed the plea deal from the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, or the president himself.
The court sentenced Popović to six months in prison, replaced by the €3,000 fine, alongside his deportation and entry ban.
Serbian Justice Ministry: Agreement Signed Under Pressure, Legally Void
Today, Serbia’s Ministry of Justice claimed Popović signed the agreement under duress, calling it invalid and without legal effect in Serbia’s legal system or under international law.
“The institutions that concluded it are not recognized by Serbia or international law. Moreover, the agreement was made under coercion and in violation of basic rights guaranteed by UN Security Council Resolution 1244 and the UN Charter of Human Rights,” the ministry said.
It accused Pristina of abusing the justice system to stigmatize Serbs, reinforce political control, and selectively prosecute members of the Serbian community, while crimes against Serbs go unpunished.
Political Reactions and Criticism
While official Belgrade has remained silent, opposition voices sharply criticized the case.
Lawyer and former minister Boža Prelević said it exposed “the misery of Serbia’s authorities and betrayal in Kosovo.” Forum for Ethnic Relations Director Dušan Janjić warned of “serious and multifaceted consequences.”
MP Slobodan Cvejić, vice president of the Serbia Center party (SRCE), said it was “direct proof that Vučić’s policy is falling apart,” while the Kreni-promeni movement labeled it “a fiasco of state policy.”
Zvecan-based lawyer Nebojša Vlajić argued that plea deals—legitimate legal instruments—are being misused, with many Serbs resorting to them to avoid long detentions and harsh sentences for alleged crimes that, in his view, “half of the detainees did not commit.”
Dejan Mirović, a law professor at the University of Pristina (now based in North Mitrovica), questioned whether Popović acted with the blessing of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija and President Vučić, suggesting a possible deal with Pristina to “cover up a Brussels affair.”
Media Campaign and Alleged BIA Links
In parallel, Kosovo media circulated alleged screenshots of Popović’s messages with individuals, including a purported Bojan Dimić from Serbia’s Security Intelligence Agency (BIA), and an alleged audio recording of a closed-door Brussels meeting featuring mostly the Serbian delegation.
Acting Prime Minister Albin Kurti used the Popović case to accuse Serbia of undermining dialogue and linked Popović personally to BIA activities.
Popović convicted, sentenced to fine and deportation after plea deal
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