Popovic found guilty, prison sentence replaced with fine and 2-year deportation from Kosovo

Popovic found guilty, prison sentence replaced with fine and 2-year banishment from Kosovo

Igor Popovic, assistant director of the so-called “Office for Kosovo” in the Government of Serbia, has been found guilty in the Basic Court in Pristina, Special Department, of the criminal offense of inciting ethnic discord and hatred.

Judge Kujtim Krasniqi imposed a sentence of 6 months in prison, which was replaced with a fine of 3 thousand euros and an additional sentence, expulsion from Kosovo for a period of two years.

In this case, the court approved the plea agreement between him and the Special Prosecution Office of the Republic of Kosovo.

Popović was arrested on July 19 at the Brnjak border crossing and is accused of having delivered a public speech with inflammatory content in Rahovec on July 18, 2025, spreading hatred and intolerance between ethnic groups in Kosovo.

Popovic was brought to court today in handcuffs and appeared before Judge Kujtim Krasniqi and Special Prosecutor Fikrije Krasniqi-Fejzullahu, reports “Oath for Justice”.

According to the indictment filed on 04.08.2025 by the Special Prosecution of the Republic of Kosovo, Igor Popović intentionally and intentionally incited and publicly spread hatred and intolerance between ethnic groups, in such a way that on 18.07.2025, at around 12:00 in Rahovec, he held a public speech in which he addressed a large number of citizens, where, among other things, he used language with inciting and hateful content, saying “…Serbs have suffered here in the region of Rahovec, Metohija, Kosovo and Metohija because they are locals and have roots here and do not allow anyone to declare them occupiers, newcomers and expel them from here, from the KLA – a terrorist organization” and that because of this he continued to appeal to citizens as “we have to be proud of the bravery of the victims and brothers left here and to strive for Hoca e Madhe and Rahovec to remain “Serbian, that Serbian houses and Serbian schools be built here, Serbian children be born, Serbian institutions exist and this is the duty of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija and the Government of Serbia” and similar, so that it has encouraged and deepened distrust and intolerance in the diversity of ethnic groups living in Kosovo and has violated the coexistence of Serbs and Albanians, and which speech was aware that it was being broadcast by the media and that in this way it could potentially disrupt public order and peace.

He is hereby accused of having committed the criminal offense of “Inciting discord and intolerance” under Article 141, paragraph 1 of the Criminal Code.

The prosecution announced that the accused had pleaded guilty to the criminal offense charged against him.