PRIŠTINA DETAINS THREE ACTIVE AND ONE RETIRED POLICE OFFICERS

BELGRADE, JUNE 14 /SRNA/ - The authorities in Priština have detained, without any grounds or justification, three active members of the Serbia’s Ministry of Interior /MoI/ and one retired police officer who reside in Kosovo and Metohija, the Serbia’s parliamentary Office for Kosovo and Metohija announced.

At the Brnjak crossing last night, 26-year-old MoI officer N.V. and 53-year-old retired officer M.S. were detained, while today two other officers, 28-year-old M.S. at the Jarinje crossing and 36-year-old A.M. at the Končulj crossing, were also taken into custody. They are currently being detained. The Office for Kosovo and Metohija emphasized that all four will be provided with free legal assistance and that international representatives - including EU mediator Peter Sorensen - will be informed through diplomatic channels about what they describe as unlawful arrests. Belgrade expects a clear and unambiguous response from international representatives regarding the ongoing series of arbitrary detentions of Serbs, as well as the political persecution of Serb List members, the statement reads. The Office underlined that all four detainees have been living peacefully with their families in Kosovo and Metohija for years, and that their professional duties are carried out in police departments located in central Serbia. The Office characterized the arrests as politically motivated retaliation against the Serb people.