KMDLNJ warns war veterans: Do not go through Serbia, you can be arrested

Serbia, not in a few cases, has arrested Albanians who have passed through Serbia, whether Kosovo's, as passing through the case or Albanians from Kosovo employed in Western states. A number of them have been held for months in custody, while some still hold them today on charges allegedly committed war crimes in Kosovo against Serbs and the other non-Albanian community. Because of undecided relations between states and because the liaison office has not had access to these cases, Kosovo's detainees have remained at the mercy of lawyers who have received large sums of money. The Republic of Kosovo, due to current circumstances, has not been able to come to the aid of those arrested, while internationals have taken a neutral stand against arrested Albanians, while vocally reacting to Serbs arrested in Kosovo accused of war crimes. Albanians arrested in Serbia cannot be guaranteed fair, impartial and politically undicted and therefore effective judicial protection.

The KMDLN has earlier called for all of them, who were part of the KLA in one way or another, not to pass through Serbia because anything that even happened could be arrested. Even, according to Serbia's demands on Interpol, a number of Albanians have been arrested in Western states and there has been danger of extradition to Serbia. Among those arrested in Western states there have been senior KLA military leaders and senior political leaders in Kosovo, president, prime minister, ministers, etc.

Serbia has been very active on the grounds of the prosecution for so-called “The Yellow House “, making up charges of murder, kidnapping, trafficking of Serb, Roma and others who had been sent to Albania, after which Senator Dick Marty made a report resulting in the formation of Special Chambers in The Hague. The Chambers of Specialised Prosecutors in The Hague have acknowledged that they have been supplied on regular grounds with incriminating materials to former KLA leaders and held in custody today in The Hague as if they had formed separate groups in Kosovo that bought witnesses, amounting to 300,000 euros, had their organs removed and were then trafficked. Because of intense political pressure, the group of Serbs arrested in Kosovo, suspected of buying evidence from Serbs, Roma and others, after months of detention, were released to be tried never though there was undeniable evidence in their involvement in this criminal group, financed by Serbia.

Now, Serbia is very committed to finding as many “tests as possible “and witnesses against accused and Albanian detainees who are detained at The Hague, so it has intensified all mechanisms that can be used or used at The Hague. Of course, the main part where they can provide evidence and witnesses are former KLA soldiers. KMDLNj has information that Serbia has completely received the list of former war veterans UCK's so, if given the opportunity, they arrest and force them to give false testimony or turn them into accomplices. There are cases when such members have stayed in Serbia and then presented themselves as witnesses in the court processes in Kosovo or are on the list of protected witnesses in The Hague.

For this reason, KMDLNj publicly called on all those who have been part of the liberation war or have helped the war, in no way travel through Serbia because it is easily possible to be arrested and conditioned on release, at the expense of providing information Serbia needs.

It is not necessary to cross Serbia as long as there are other alternative routes to travel to Western states. If otherwise taken, there is great danger to account for, without the Kosovo state being helped because of current circumstances and lack of reports between Kosovo and Serbia. We are witnesses that Nezir Mehmetaj is being held in prison on the grounds of fabricated accusations and, despite the desire and will to be assisted, it is impossible to do so.