The Serbian Democracy party alleged today that its vice president, Stefan Veljković, was physically assaulted outside his family home—shortly after an alleged attempted car attack.
In a video shared by the party, a vehicle with Kosovo license plates is seen speeding past Veljković before stopping. A young man, reportedly of Albanian ethnicity, exits the car and charges at Veljković, striking him while shouting, “You’ll see.”
The altercation was interrupted by two older men who physically restrained the attacker and prevented further escalation.
In a strongly worded statement, Serbian Democracy said it does not view the incident as an isolated case, but rather as part of a “broader pattern of intimidation, persecution, and political violence targeting representatives of the Serbian community.”
“We believe this was an ethnically and politically motivated attack, occurring just one day after several members of our party were kidnapped by the Kosovo police upon returning from Gazimestan,” the statement reads.
The party further claims that such incidents point to a “coordinated campaign to eliminate Serbian political dissent.” It accuses Kosovo’s institutions of “openly targeting the leadership and membership of Serbian Democracy instead of ensuring safety for all citizens,” framing the situation as a violation of fundamental human rights.
“Kosovo’s institutions have launched an open season on Serbian Democracy,” the party declares, appealing to the international community and all missions in Kosovo to intervene immediately:
“Before the silhouettes of our members are outlined in chalk on the asphalt.”
Veljković Detained on Vidovdan
The alleged assault follows Veljković’s detention on Saturday ahead of a memorial service at Gazimestan. According to the party, he was apprehended by police for wearing a T-shirt with the image of party leader Aleksandar Arsenijević.
After being detained near the memorial site, Veljković reportedly attempted to return to North Mitrovica, but then lost contact with his party and family—along with three other party members. They later confirmed they were being held at a police station in Vucitrn.
In a statement to KoSSev, Veljković said police gave no reason for the detention, denied them access to a lawyer, and barred them from contacting their families. He claims they were questioned about their political beliefs, pressured to unlock their phones, and asked about potential links to the Banjska incident.
17 Detained During Vidovdan Events
A total of 17 individuals were detained during yesterday’s Vidovdan commemoration at Gazimestan, according to Kosovo’s Police Inspectorate, on suspicion of inciting crowds, promoting hatred, and wearing provocative or inflammatory clothing.
Police formed a cordon following the memorial service, pulling attendees from the crowd and escorting them to a nearby prefabricated facility.
Among those briefly detained was an underage girl, whose family voiced outrage over the police’s actions.
The detentions—particularly that of the minor—were condemned by both the Serb List and the Serbian Government’s Office for Kosovo and Metohija.
Preuzimanje i objavljivanje tekstova sa portala KoSSev nije dozvoljeno bez navođenja izvora. Hvala na poštovanju etike novinarske profesije.
