Two police inspectors from Pristina travelled to North Mitrovica on Wednesday to question Vladimir Radosavljević and Aleksandar Lazović of Serbian Democracy over several political posters placed outside a KFOR base in Pristina. Police had previously identified their vehicle and alerted the northern region, while a prosecutor ordered checks into possible “endangerment of international personnel” and “inflammatory rhetoric”. After questioning, authorities concluded that no criminal offence had been committed and the case was reduced to a misdemeanour related to posters “against KFOR”. Why over posters? Radosavljević says police first told him they were looking for weapons or drugs, and later that KFOR had reported him. Deputy regional police commander for the North Veton Elshani told KoSSev that citizens had reported “something suspicious” near the KFOR base and described the weapons-and-drugs check as part of “operational police work in the field”.
Radosavljević and Lazović were detained in North Mitrovica several hours after placing posters near a KFOR base in Pristina carrying the message: “NATO and KFOR are accomplices in the expulsion of Serbs from Kosovo.”
Radosavljević said they had gone to the base shortly before 3pm to express disagreement with KFOR’s assessment of the security situation and opposition to opening the main Ibar bridge in Mitrovica to vehicle traffic.
“We were outside the KFOR base in Pristina to express our disagreement with KFOR’s assessment that security in Kosovo is fine, and to oppose the opening of the main bridge over the Ibar in Mitrovica,” he said.
He said they had three or four posters and that, before putting them up, he asked KFOR soldiers whether they were allowed to do so.
“I approached the KFOR soldiers who were on guard at the base and asked whether I could put up the posters. They told me I could not put them on the base.”
According to Radosavljević, the soldiers told him that the posters could be placed outside the base.
“They told me I could not put them on the base, but that I could put them on the street next to the base, outside the base.”
He said the posters were then placed on two poles and on a barrier outside the base.
The two later travelled to North Mitrovica, where they intended to place another poster near the main bridge.
Radosavljević said that after they stopped for coffee, he went back to his car and found two police officers waiting for him.
He said more officers arrived, including plainclothes police.
“A plainclothes officer approached and told me they were looking for weapons or drugs, that it was a routine check and that they were searching my car,” Radosavljević said.
He said the vehicle contained nothing except one remaining poster.
According to him, police then gave him a different explanation.
“They told me that KFOR had reported me and that I had to go with them to the station, willingly or by force.”
Radosavljević said he was taken to the police station in North Mitrovica, where he and Lazović were told to switch off their phones and wait for investigators from Pristina.
He said they waited around an hour before the inspectors arrived.
In the meantime, he claims, plainclothes officers told him that they may have committed a criminal offence related to “endangering international missions”.
“I was not comfortable with that, because I was not familiar with such a criminal offence. When someone tells you that you may have committed a criminal offence, while you know it was only a political message, you do not know what to think or say,” he said.
After questioning, Radosavljević said he was told there would be no criminal case.
“They took my statement and told me that it would not be a criminal offence after all, but that I would be prosecuted for a misdemeanour.”
Police: Citizens reported “something suspicious”
Veton Elshani, deputy regional commander of Kosovo Police for the North, gave KoSSev a different account of how police first learned about the action.
“Citizens saw that something suspicious was happening near KFOR,” Elshani said.
According to him, citizens informed police through an application. Police then identified the vehicle used by Radosavljević and Lazović and passed the information to the northern police region.
This differs from Radosavljević’s claim that police officers told him KFOR had reported them.
Asked why a political activist was approached with an explanation that police were looking for drugs or weapons, Elshani said this was part of “operational police work in the field”.
He added that two inspectors from Pristina came north on the prosecutor’s decision to examine a potential case involving “endangerment of international personnel” and “inflammatory rhetoric”.
After both men were questioned, police concluded that there were no elements of a criminal offence, Elshani said.
Both were released and the case continued as a misdemeanour.
Asked whether such treatment of political activists could create an impression of restrictions on freedom of speech, Elshani insisted that police had acted on the prosecutor’s decision.
Asked why political activists should be punished for expressing a political message, he referred KoSSev to the prosecutor.
What the police document says
KoSSev reviewed the misdemeanour document issued to Radosavljević.
Its handwritten explanation states that he had “placed a banner with inscriptions against KFOR near the KFOR base”, thereby allegedly disturbing public order and peace.
No specific fine is entered on the form; instead, it indicates that the case is to go to court.
Radosavljević said he was told that the offence carries a fine of between EUR 100 and 800.
“Freedom of movement, but not freedom of speech”
Radosavljević also questioned the broader meaning of the case.
“I do not know where Kosovo Police gets the right to restrict freedom of speech and political activity. I do not know where KFOR gets the right to give that police control over the bridge and control over freedom of movement, while they do not allow freedom of speech,” he said.
He also publicly asked KFOR whether the mission had indeed reported him and Lazović to police.
The full version of this article is available in Serbian.
Preuzimanje i objavljivanje tekstova sa portala KoSSev nije dozvoljeno bez navođenja izvora. Hvala na poštovanju etike novinarske profesije.
