Just a few days after the release of former Kosovo Special Unit policeman Arbnor Spahiu, who was arrested at the border between Hungary and Serbia in June of this year, another former member of the Kosovo Liberation Army, Avni Qenaj, from the village of Romajë in Prizren has been arrested by authorities in Serbia.
The news of Qenaj’s arrest by authorities in Serbia has also been confirmed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kosovo and the KLA’s OVL.
The MFA has emphasized that all actions are being taken to protect his rights and safety.
According to the MFA announcement, immediately after receiving information about the arrest, the Kosovo Liaison Office in Serbia sent an official request to the Serbian authorities for confirmation of the arrest, the specific reasons for the detention, the location where he is being held, as well as any other information necessary for further handling of the case.
The Ministry also announces that the European Union Delegation to Serbia has been informed, and notes verbale have been sent to the diplomatic missions of the QUINT countries, to ensure international oversight and engagement in protecting Qenaj’s rights.
It is further announced that the Kosovo Liaison Office in Serbia will proceed with the request to allow the arrestee to visit as soon as his exact location is confirmed.
The MFA reiterates that it will continuously inform the public about any developments regarding this case.
The Ministry calls on the international community to increase vigilance and pressure on the Serbian authorities, emphasizing that Serbia continues the practice of mistreatment and intimidation of Kosovo citizens, violating international human rights norms and standards.
Meanwhile, the vice president of the Organization of Veterans of the Kosovo Liberation Army (OVL-UCK), Gazmend Syla, has confirmed that authorities in Serbia have arrested former KLA member Avni Qenaj, from the village of Romajë in Prizren.
According to Syla, Qenaj – a former member of the 138th Brigade “Agim Ramadani” – was detained while crossing into Serbian territory, and it is suspected that Serbian security forces They found his veteran’s card. during the check.
He stressed that Qenaj had passed through Serbia several times before without any problems.
And the president of the state, Vjosa Osmani, on Monday hosted a meeting with former member of the Special Unit, Arbnor Spahiu, after his release from prison in Serbia.
She has reiterated the call to Kosovo citizens living abroad, especially those planning to travel during the year-end holidays, to avoid transit through Serbia.
According to her, structures are still in power in Serbia that, as she put it, “do not differ in mentality from the previous Serbian regime,” which poses a risk to the safety of Kosovar travelers.
Osmani emphasized that Kosovo institutions will continue their commitment to protecting its citizens wherever they are and to preventing similar cases of unjust detentions.
But lawyer Arianit Koci has reacted to the statement of the President of Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani, who called on citizens to avoid passing through Serbia after repeated cases of arrests of Kosovars by Serbian authorities.
In a public reaction, Koci said that Although the concern is justified and the danger real, the approach of institutions should not produce fear or a sense of surrender among citizens.
“When you say ‘don’t go’, then you also have to show ‘how we will protect you’ and ‘what solutions we are offering’. Otherwise, the call remains truncated and creates room for uncertainty,” Koci stressed.
He demanded that the state accompany the warnings with concrete measures, including: providing safe and affordable alternative routes for the diaspora; guarantees of immediate consular protection in case of detentions; close coordination with friendly states to monitor the situation; reciprocal measures in accordance with international law; continuous diplomatic pressure to stop the practices of the Serbian authorities.
Otherwise, the Serbian Ministry of Internal Affairs has announced that it has arrested a person identified by the initials AQ, whom it suspects of “organizing and inciting the commission of genocide and war crimes.”
According to Serbian authorities, the suspect allegedly joined the local KLA headquarters in Prizren in April 1998 and participated in the 1999 fighting in Koshare as a member of the 138th Brigade “Agim Ramadani”.
Qenaj has been ordered to be detained for 48 hours, while the Serbian Ministry of Internal Affairs has announced that a criminal report will be filed against him at the prosecutor’s office. /Telegrafi/