Three ethnic Serbs who were arrested on Saturday after purchasing „KLA“ emblems in Pristina, and who were subsequently released from custody, are back at home in Nis. The investigation is ongoing. They were charged with terrorism-related acts, while the Kosovan media are linking them with the „preparation of Panda 2“, and as of yesterday with „Russian ties“ and „Serbian intelligence“ – as the Kosovo Minister of Justice „revealed“ at a press conference on Monday.
The lawyer of one of the arrested, Jovana Filipovic emphasized that they purchased the emblems because her client is a duly registered and „passionate“ collector and owner of an army shop in Serbia proper. He came to Kosovo for a requiem for the deceased in Laplje Selo, where his family house is located, and then he visited Pristina with his friends in search of uniforms and other army souvenirs. Prior to purchasing the emblems, he allegedly received permission to do so from the police officers who happened to be there. Filipovic reminded of the role of the Minister of Justice, judges and lawyers, stressing that instead of commenting on the course of the investigation, they must protect the presumption of innocence.
The Kosovo police detained five people (3 Serbian citizens and two Kosovan) in Pristina on Saturday, the Kosovo Police confirmed for KoSSev on Saturday, while failing to specify the reason behind the detainment.
On Sunday, KosovaPress news agency and other Pristina-based media reported that the detained Serbs were reportedly arrested for drawing up a plan to make videos „claiming that some soldiers dressed in KLA uniforms were preparing to occupy the north of Kosovo.” Furthermore, they claimed that Serbia wanted to fabricate events to create “a reason to militarily intervene to protect Serbs in northern Kosovo.“
Albulena Haxhiu shares details (of the investigation)
Kosovo’s Minister of Justice, Albulena Haxhiu, expressed regret over the fact that the detained Serbs were released in the meantime, the Kosovo media report today.
„I must say that this act of the Prosecutor’s Office is strange, surprising, both for us as the Government and the citizens of the Republic of Kosovo, and these actions ignore any possible danger of violation of the sovereignty and integrity, territorial integrity of the Republic of Kosovo. Therefore, the fact that the persons in question were not held in custody for even 48 hours, speaks of indifference to possible violations of sovereignty and territorial integrity,“ she said, Zeri reports.
Haxhiu also shared details of this case.
Confirming that the Kosovo police detained three Serb citizens in the police station in Pristina on Saturday at 5:10 PM, after they were found with five emblems of the „Kosovo Liberation Army“ during a vehicle inspection, Haxiu claimed that at least one of the detainees purportedly “communicated with persons from the Russian Federation and individuals from the Serbian intelligence structures.“
„According to information from security institutions, the suspects entered Kosovo from Serbia on the same day, Saturday, withdrew significant sums of money and went to buy military clothes in one of the shops in Pristina. According to the security institutions, the cameras show persons in question expressing interest in buying military clothes and uniforms, but also boots, but after the police arrived, they decided to buy only 5 KLA emblems. Security institutions have information that at least one of the persons accompanied by the police communicated with persons from the Russian Federation and individuals of Serbian intelligence structures.“
As Pristina-based portal Zeri writes, a Supreme Court of Kosovo judge stated that „this information was enough to create suspicions that the persons in question, together with structures from Serbia, were preparing any activity that would endanger security and increase tensions in the Republic of Kosovo.“ Haxhiu also added that despite this information, „the prosecution, unfortunately, released the suspects in regular proceedings,“ the same portal reports.
„I urge the institutions, especially in these circumstances that arose following the Russian aggression on Ukraine and Serbia’s orientation toward Russia, as a sign of open support for Russian aggression against Ukraine, to have firm cooperation and not to ignore possible dangers.“
Filipovic: The Minister holds a political post, she should not comment on the investigation, but guarantee rights
„I believe that neither the ministers, nor the judges, nor even us defenders should share the details of the investigation, especially not a minister who holds a political post. As defendants, we are also not allowed to give details to the public, nor comment on the investigation. Each of us must respect the presumption of innocence and the secrecy of the investigation. The court decision can be commented on in public only once it becomes final, which is not the case here – the decision is not final,“ the lawyer of one of the accused Serbs, Jovana Filipovic, told KoSSev last night.
Filipovic once again confirmed that her client is a collector with a certificate from the Association of Collectors of the Republic of Serbia and that he owns a Nis-based shop that sells military or camouflage equipment and war insignia.
„In his shop, he exhibits under various topics – whether it’s the wars of the 1990s, World War I, World War II – flags, military insignia, emblems that were characteristic of that period, so that is why he bought these emblems,“ Filipovic previously said in a statement for KoSSev.
She explains that her client, together with two other Serbs, came to Kosovo for the requiem for the deceased and that they then visited the Army shop in Pristina with their acquaintances – two ethnic Albanians, where they bought „KLA“ emblems. Filipovic added that before the purchase, moreover, the police officers who happened to be there gave them permission to do so.
„He (cf. the client) is also a law school graduate, so he is not uneducated. Despite the work he is engaged in, he possesses the necessary legal knowledge to know what is a crime and what is not,“ Filipovic said.
Is it a crime to buy emblems that Albanians are proud of and that can be purchased throughout Kosovo – either in specialized souvenir shops or street stalls?
„There are no elements of a crime in the purchase of these emblems, because the emblems are over-the-counter and anyone can purchase them,“ Filipovic added.
In her words, the purchase was carried out regularly, they have a receipt.
Speaking of the uniforms and money, Filipovic says:
„They indeed browsed uniforms, but they did so solely to compare prices with the store run by my client in Nis, and in Serbia in general. As for the money, the money they had was primarily intended for the requiem and shopping, settling household expenses, as he has a family house in Laplje Selo.“
Finally, when asked about contacts with persons in the Russian Federation and Serbian intelligence, she states that the defense counsel has no knowledge about it and that this is completely unknown information to them.
Pristina officials are increasingly drawing a parallel between Russia and Ukraine and Serbia and Kosovo, emphasizing „caution to save the North.“
The war in Ukraine is also front-page news in the Kosovo media. In addition to Russia, numerous texts and reports are being published where Serbia is placed in a negative context, as a „destabilizing factor“ in the Balkans, „a hegemon“, „Russian ally“, including predictions of „Military blitzkrieg“ in northern Kosovo.
The Minister of Defense of Kosovo, Armend Mehaj, asked the Commander of KFOR, Major General Ferenc Kajari, on Monday to increase the presence of the representatives of this NATO mission in the north of Kosovo.
„The destabilizing tendencies of Russia and its satellites towards our country and the region of the Western Balkans are clear, and we will oppose them together with our allies,“ Mehaj said.
The next day, Mehaj also started a campaign through social networks for Kosovo’s accession to NATO. Through a post on Facebook, he called all citizens of Kosovo, compatriots and friends wherever they are, to post #KosovoInNATO and #KosovoInEU on their profiles.
The news has been updated
In the meantime, footage from surveillance cameras of a store in Pristina, where three Serbs purchased KLA emblems, also appeared in Kosovan media.
Related news:
Serbs arrested in PR for terrorism-related crimes released from custody
Preuzimanje i objavljivanje tekstova sa portala KoSSev nije dozvoljeno bez navođenja izvora. Hvala na poštovanju etike novinarske profesije.
