Three days after the arrest of Igor Popović, assistant to the director of the Serbian Government’s Office for Kosovo and Metohija, and less than 24 hours after he was placed in pre-trial detention, the Higher Public Prosecutor’s Office in Belgrade has issued a formal request to Serbian state institutions to investigate the circumstances of his arrest.
The prosecutor’s office has contacted Serbia’s Criminal Police Directorate and the Security and Intelligence Agency (BIA), requesting that they gather information on the individuals responsible for apprehending Popović.
The aim is to identify those who “on July 18, 2025, presenting themselves as so-called ‘Kosovo Police,’ arrested and transported to Pristina the Deputy Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, Igor Popović, following his public address in Orahovac during a memorial for Serbs killed by the so-called KLA,” the prosecution stated.
The requests were made “to determine whether the elements of the criminal offense of kidnapping under Article 134, Paragraph 3 in conjunction with Paragraph 1 of the Criminal Code are present,” the statement added.
What happened
Popović was detained on Friday after attending a memorial service in Velika Hoca to mark the day of remembrance for Serbs killed or kidnapped in the municipality of Orahovac between 1998 and 2000.
During his speech at the ceremony, Popović stated:
“Our brothers were killed because KLA terrorists did not want Serbs in these areas.”
Several Pristina-based media outlets later reported, citing unnamed sources, that Popović was detained over this statement. These reports were later confirmed by Kosovo’s acting Minister of Internal Affairs, Xhelal Sveçla.
Sveçla stated that Pristina “will not tolerate insults and the desecration of history, let alone the liberation war led by the KLA.”
Serbia’s Office for Kosovo and Metohija condemned the arrest and demanded Popović’s immediate release—however, this did not happen.
The Kosovo Police in the North Region confirmed that Popović was apprehended at the Brnjak border crossing. He was later questioned in North Mitrovica and held in custody for up to 48 hours.
On Sunday night, he was brought before a judge who, acting on a prosecution request, ordered 30 days of pre-trial detention.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić reacted strongly on Sunday evening, stating:
“We will respond in a very firm manner, because this terror must stop at some point.”
He accused acting Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti of “completely losing his mind” and claimed that Kurti “wants to provoke incidents and conflict in the Western Balkans.”
Assistant to Kosovo Office Director Detained for 48 Hours over Statement on KLA
Serbian Official Igor Popović Placed in 30-Day Detention – Belgrade Reacts Sharply
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