Serbia’s court orders detention, investigation of three Kosovo policemen

A Kosovo police officer stands at the Kosovo-Serbia border crossing in Merdare, Kosovo, June 15, 2023. (Reuters)

• Kosovo says the three were arrested inside its territory by Serbian officers who had crossed the border
• The three “had no intention to be in Serbia and should be released,” US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Gabriel Escobar said

BELGRADE: A Serbian court on Friday ordered the continued detention and investigation of three Kosovo policemen detained this week in a border area in disputed circumstances.
Kosovo says the three were arrested inside its territory by Serbian officers who had crossed the border. Belgrade says they were detained inside Serbia.
The Public Prosecutor’s Office in Serbia’s southwestern city of Kraljevo said it had charged the three policemen with unauthorized production, possession, carrying and trafficking of weapons and explosive substances.
“The judge for the preliminary proceedings of the Higher Court in Kraljevo ordered the detention of all suspects,” the prosecutor’s office said in a statement.
A US envoy called on Serbia to release the trio, saying the officers did not intentionally cross the border and the “likely scenarios” were that they were abducted from inside Kosovo or “inadvertently crossed the boundary.”
The three “had no intention to be in Serbia and should be released,” US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Gabriel Escobar told an online briefing for reporters.
This “escalation on top of a previous escalation” is “really creating some very difficult conditions for the region, not just for Serbia and Kosovo,” Escobar said.
The detentions were the latest in a series of incidents that have led to unrest in the area and raised concern of renewed violence between Serbia and Kosovo.
Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti has demanded the release of the three, saying their arrests was an act of aggression by Serbia. Kosovo has banned all vehicles with Serbian license plates from entering its territory.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic denied the accusations and accused Kurti of inciting conflict.
The United States and Britain urged Kosovo and Serbia to reduce tensions and called for the immediate release of the Kosovo policemen, while EU’s foreign policy chief Josep Borell has called crisis talks with Kurti and Vucic for next week.
Albanian-majority Kosovo declared independence from Serbia with the backing of the West following a 1998-99 war. Serbia still considers Kosovo part of its territory.