„This isn’t about what happens to Igor Simić, Ivan Zaporožac, or anyone else tomorrow—it’s about how people will cope without the services we provided while we were in charge,“ a senior official from Srpska Lista stated at a press conference today. The briefing addressed the recent summons issued to several Kosovo Serb leaders by the Kosovo Police, who are investigating allegations of document forgery.
The controversy erupted when three Serbian leaders, including Igor Simić and Ivan Zaporožac, were summoned by the Kosovo police for alleged involvement in document forgery, specifically related to the use of Serbian documents in Kosovo. Despite claims from the Kosovo police that five leaders were involved, Simić confirmed that only three summonses had been issued, with the notifications delivered informally, some even via Viber.
At a press conference today, Simić and other leaders denounced the summonses as part of a broader campaign of political persecution aimed at undermining the Serbian community in Kosovo. He stressed that their actions were always in the interest of all citizens and denied any wrongdoing.
“We will respond to the summons and clearly state that we acted in the interest of all citizens and in no way, at any time, did we act in a manner that could be qualified as falsifying documents,” Simić said.
Zaporožac was scheduled to provide his statement to the police at 11 a.m., while Simić’s interrogation was set for 4 p.m. A third individual, Ivan Todosijević, had also been informed of the legal proceedings, although earlier reports had mentioned only two leaders.
Former North Mitrovica Mayor Milan Radojević had already given his statement, alleging that Kosovo police had disturbed his neighborhood in what he described as an insincere attempt to locate him. The fifth leader, former Leposavić Mayor Zoran Todić, claimed he had not yet received any summons.
Political Persecution and the Erosion of Services
Simić characterized the legal actions as part of a political persecution campaign targeting not only the leaders but also the Serbian community. He highlighted the vital role these Serbian institutions played in providing essential services to citizens, services that are now at risk of being eliminated.
„When we talk about these institutions and their existence, the Kosovo authorities have always been aware of them,“ Simić said. He pointed out that the provision of services such as registering births, marriages, and deaths is at stake. He warned that without these services, „soon there will be a situation where there will be no one to allocate a burial plot.“
Simić also noted the rapidly deteriorating situation for Serbs in Kosovo, stating, „We don’t know what Kurti will do. He started with force. We don’t know when he will stop. When someone has power, they can take everything from you — your property, your life. Honor and dignity, you lose yourself.“
80 Serbian Leaders Targeted
During the press conference, Zlatan Elek, the head of Srpska Lista, revealed that summonses had previously been issued to 80 Serbian leaders in northern Kosovo. However, this process has been „temporarily halted.“ No further explanation was provided, including about unofficial information obtain by KoSSev that employees from both Serbian and Kosovo systems who were involved in barricades had been questioned for the past two weeks.
Despite the mounting legal pressures, SL reassured citizens that none of the employees working in institutions physically closed by Pristina would lose their salaries. „All employees of the institutions usurped by the provisional self-government institutions in Pristina will continue to receive their salaries from the Republic of Serbia’s budget,“ Simić confirmed.
A Call for Peace and International Accountability
Simić and other Srpska Lista leaders reiterated their commitment to peace, stressing that their policy over the past decade had always been one of restraint and adherence to international agreements. They claimed that the international community had a responsibility to ensure the safety and rights of Serbs in Kosovo.
„We will respond, as I said, to the summons and state clearly and loudly that this is a political persecution of the Serbian people,“ Simić declared.
He urged the international community to hold itself accountable, reminding them of their obligations under mandates from both the United Nations Security Council and the Assembly. He also criticized the international organizations present in Kosovo for failing to guarantee peace and security.
Simić ended his remarks by citing a statement from former U.S. Special Envoy for the Western Balkans, Gabriel Escobar, who had affirmed that Serbs in Kosovo had the right to dual citizenship and participation in Serbia’s cultural life, but not „dual discrimination.“ Simić called on international representatives to live up to their promises and protect the rights of the Serbian people in Kosovo.
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