KMDLNJ: Do not travel through Serbia, Serbs are arresting Albanians and forcing them to pay for release

According to them, at least three Kosovo citizens have been arrested at the Merdare border checkpoint by Serbia's police, without knowing the reason for the arrest, where family members allegedly had only been Albanian.

At least three Kosovo citizens have been arrested at the Merdare border checkpoint by Serbia's police, without knowing the reason for the arrest. According to the media, a family member has claimed that they have only been arrested because they are Albanians and that they have not been arrested by border police, but that they have been arrested by police units coming from Belgrade”, the communique said.

For these circumstances, KMDLNj has called on citizens not to travel through Serbia as soon as there are other opportunities for travel such as through Albania, Montenegro and North Macedonia.

The “is not and certainly will not be the last time Kosovo citizens have been arrested and arrested during the trip through Serbia, as roads to other states where they live and work. These arrests are frequented during holiday, summer and wintertime and holidays when the arrival of fellow countrymen is greater, KMDLNI has sometimes reacted to these arrests, calling not to travel through Serbia as long as there are other opportunities for travel as they are through Albania, Montenegro and North Macedonia”, said in the communique.

According to them, Albanian citizens from Kosovo who are being arrested in Serbia, most of them are detained several months and after paying a large sum of money, they are released to continue the way.

The money is taken from some sex lawyers who speak on behalf of Serbia's prosecution and courts, which, according to sexmen, require money to release. Especially during the holidays, Kosovo citizens face many problems during their trip through Serbia, ranging from stealing items from the automobile, high fines and slandered by Serbian police to their arrest. Serbian police and courts understand that our countrymen may lose their jobs in the states where they work and live, so they also pay money to buy the release, although they have not done any criminal acts”, it is said away in the communique.

According to KMDLNj information, those arrested in Merdare are sent to Prokuple Prison, where the corruption scheme functions perfectly; lawyers, prosecutors and courts.

According to them, Albanian prisoners have regular family visits that are envisioned in the order of the holder entity as having no problems with other convicts or with the carrying staff.

KMDLNj said that following the escalation of the situation in northern Kosovo, the Kosovo citizens' movement through Serbia has also been difficult, which ended with the arrest of several citizens in recent days.

“The situation will become even more serious for fellow countrymen as we are on the eve of the start of summer holidays, and most of them choose Serbia as the shortest route to Kosovo. KMDLNI calls on Kosovo citizens and fellow countrymen to avoid travel through Serbia and to choose alternative and accessible ways to a calming of the situation that would guarantee freedom of movement for all. The road through Serbia seems shorter, but the consequences are long-term and costly so long ago that in the absence of co-operation between the Kosovo Ministry of Justice and Serbia, cases of arrests, treatment and the trial itself are remaining unmedified. The bilateral case is that of Nezir Mehmetaj, who has been held in custody for more than two years since the letter sent to the Ministry of Justice of Serbia by the Kosovo Ministry of Justice to this day, has no answer. Internationals, as mediators primarily care about the arrest of Serbs in Kosovo or Kosovo citizens of Serbian nationality who are banned by Serbia's authorities. Not in a few cases, internationals demand the release of Serbs arrested through diplomatic pressure meaning that because of political opportunity, they have no problem implementing double standards”, the KMDLNj communiqué reads away.

Kosovo and Serbia have signed the Agreement guaranteeing freedom of movement, which is remaining hostage to the failure to implement other agreements or political developments in Brussels. Human rights for human rights, respectively, as one of the basic human rights guaranteed by all national and international documents for human rights must be applied according to the principle of universality, as is expressed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and United Nations. The KMDLNj once again reminds all who choose to travel through Serbia if it is time to use these roads! On the contrary, they too will face the consequences!”, the communique ends.