The Basic Court in Pristina on Sunday ordered a 30-day detention for Igor Popović, Assistant Director of Serbia’s Office for Kosovo and Metohija. Popović was arrested on Friday after giving a speech in Velika Hoča/Hoçë e Madhe in which he referred to members of the KLA as “terrorists.”
The decision sparked a wave of reactions from Serbian officials, including President Aleksandar Vučić, who warned of a strong response.
“We will respond in a very tough manner, because this terror has to end at some point,” Vučić said Sunday evening during a live appearance on the TV show Hit Tvit on Pink.
He described Popović’s arrest as proof that Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti “has completely lost his mind and wants to provoke incidents and conflict in the Western Balkans.”
Vučić asserted that Serbia had informed its international partners about the situation and its possible consequences.
“This could have unforeseeable consequences, but we will always fight to preserve peace and stability,” he said, adding that Kurti’s actions amount to persecution and expulsion of Serbs from Kosovo.
What Happened
Popović was detained Friday at the Brnjak crossing, according to Kosovo Police, and then questioned in North Mitrovica. Authorities initially placed him in 48-hour custody, which has now been extended to one month.
Popović had attended a memorial service in Velika Hoča/Hoçë e Madhe marking the anniversary of the abductions and killings of Serbs from the Orahovac/Rahovec area between 1998 and 2000. During his address, he stated:
“Our brothers were killed because KLA terrorists didn’t want Serbs in this area.”
Several Pristina-based media outlets reported that this remark was the reason for his arrest, a claim later confirmed by Kosovo’s acting Interior Minister, Xhelal Sveçla. He stated that the government “will not tolerate insults and the desecration of history, let alone the liberation war led by the KLA.”
Belgrade: A Political Arrest with Grave Consequences
Petar Petković, Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, condemned the court decision, calling it politically motivated.
“Kurti’s judges in Pristina have just ordered 30 days of detention for my assistant Igor Popović, because he bravely stood in defense of Serbian victims and suffering,” Petković said.
He claimed the ruling had no legal basis and was made “on Kurti’s orders,” stating:
“No one has ever been held accountable for crimes committed against Serbs in Kosovo. Igor Popović simply said what every honest Serb knows and believes.”
Petković emphasized that Popović maintained a dignified demeanor while being brought before the court, and that the Office “stands firmly by him and his family during these difficult times.”
He also issued a stark warning regarding the future of dialogue with Pristina:
“This scandalous, unlawful and unacceptable ruling marks the collapse of every value, right and justice for the international community. Every possibility of agreement and dialogue with Pristina falls apart until Popović is released.”
Foreign Minister: No Dialogue Under Pressure
Serbia’s Foreign Minister Marko Đurić also demanded Popović’s immediate release, calling the situation “unacceptable.”
“There can be no dialogue with Pristina while Serbian officials and the Serbian people face arrests and pressure,” he stated on social media.
Đurić called on the international community to “put a stop to Albin Kurti’s rampage while there is still a chance for any kind of stability.”
Srpska Lista and Public Backlash
Srpska Lista characterized the arrest as a “baseless political act ordered by Albin Kurti,” claiming Popović was punished simply for speaking about Serbian suffering and demanding accountability for wartime crimes.
“This is a targeted attempt to silence the truth,” they stated.
Petković reiterated this sentiment, saying:
“There is no prison or bars that can stop the truth about Serbian victims in Kosovo. As long as there is one honorable Serb left, that truth will live on. And those crimes are being prosecuted before the court in The Hague.”
He concluded that Serbia had been assured by international representatives in recent days that there was no legal basis for Popović’s detention – assurances which, he said, have proven worthless.
Assistant to Kosovo Office Director Detained for 48 Hours over Statement on KLA
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