Kossev: Kosovo Police Rejects Allegations of Violence During Operations Following Explosion, Civil Society Demands KPI Investigation

The explosion last week that damaged the Ibar-Lepenac canal was followed by a series of arrests in northern #Kosovo and complaints from citizens regarding police conduct. Allegations of physical mistreatment by officers have prompted civil society organizations from northern Kosovo to call for the Kosovo Police Inspectorate (KPI) to launch an investigation. On the other hand, Kosovo Police maintain that “no violence was used in any case.”

A day after the canal was severely damaged on Friday evening, police conducted searches at 10 locations and announced the arrest of eight individuals on the same day. Police operations and detentions continued the following day.

During this time, testimonies emerged from citizens complaining about police actions. Jelena Vlašković-Baščarević from Ugljare reported to KoSSev that special units mistakenly raided her home on Saturday morning in search of a suspect. She described how officers broke down the door, pointed weapons at her mother, and caused stress and property damage during the search.

Similarly, Gzim Jahirović from Mikro Naselje alleged physical mistreatment, threats, and sexist violence toward his wife during a police raid on Saturday. Speaking to Kontakt Plus Radio, Jahirović recounted:
“They stormed into my apartment and immediately pushed me to the ground. They handcuffed me and struck me on the back of my head. They asked, ‘Gzim, where is your weapon?’ I told them I didn’t have one and that I wasn’t Gzim—that was my brother, who lives across the street. Then they asked for my ID. My pregnant wife and young child were terrified. After they finished at my place, they went to my brother’s home.”

Civil Society Demands Investigation

Several civil society organizations from northern Kosovo issued statements today regarding these and other media reports on police conduct.

“On November 30, 2024, during a Kosovo Police raid in North Mitrovica, there were serious human rights violations, including physical violence, excessive use of force, and verbal and psychological abuse against Gzim Jahirović, vice president of the Roma Initiative party, his wife Sultana, and their extended family,” they stated.

Organizations including the New Social Initiative, the Institute for Territorial Economic Development, Aktiv, the Center for Advocacy of Democratic Culture, and the Center for Affirmative Social Actions reported receiving similar, albeit less dramatic, accounts from residents of Zvečan and Zubin Potok.

“Citizens have reported instances of excessive and illegal searches conducted as part of the investigation into sabotage of critical infrastructure in the Ibar-Lepenac hydrosystem,” they added.

The organizations called on police authorities to uphold professionalism and ensure the investigation is not misused for intimidation or violations of fundamental human rights.

“Unfortunately, numerous testimonies suggest that authorities have ignored these appeals,” the statement read, condemning any unauthorized property searches, excessive use of force, ethnic discrimination, and abuse of power.

They also urged the Kosovo Police Inspectorate to urgently and independently initiate investigations based on numerous statements from non-majority community members reported in the media.

The organizations expressed solidarity with all victims of police brutality in recent years. Milija Biševac, leader of the Serbian People’s Movement in Zubin Potok, previously requested PIK investigate the raid on the Baščarević family home in Ugljare.

Kosovo Police Deny Use of Force

......The police rejected allegations of violence:
“The police did not use force against any individual in any instance,” They further explained that police units were deployed to prevent crime, ensure the safety of citizens, and protect public and private property.
#Kosovo