Former policeman's detention, Shala: Serbia set up databases of Kosovo active, inactive officials, high risk of arrests

The arrest of former Kosovo police officer Arbnor Spahiu, June 7th in Serbia, is seen as part of a co-ordinated political action by the Serbian state against former Kosovo security officials. Security expert Drizan Shala calls the case not just a legal issue, but part of a deliberate Belgrade strategy.

Shala in an interview for Online Economy said this case points to a disturbing tendency by Serbian authorities to target former members of Kosovo's security facilities.

“We have an actual element, an official who three years is not part of Kosovo's security structures, which in the course was stopped at the border point of Hungary and Serbia, where an investigative procedure that has resulted in 30-day detention and is accused of involvement in the Banjska case, which in particular was not part of the Kosovo Police, because at the time interval it had left police close to four”, he said.

According to Shala, this is another case showing the added need for institutional and diplomatic action by Kosovo authorities and international partners.

“We can state a fact and argument: the state of Kosovo would have to act with a higher intensity and all members and former members bear in mind that actions taken by the Serbian state, even publicly declared, would be dangerous to cross through Serbia. Serbia has now launched a witch campaign in arresting and identifying officials”, he said.

Shala stresses that in a rule of law, as Serbia claims to be, such a case should not end with arrest.

“In the rule of law and Serbia is not such a thing, it should not be at all detained, but there is political interest that issues can be complicated as in past cases, where Serbia has banned citizens and other former officials. Therefore, it would have to make Brussels' international intervention more active and progressive that such cases are not part of Belgrade's” policies, he said.

The expert warns that the danger for similar cases is high, as Serbia has established a special database for former Kosovo security officials.

However, Belgrade's opinion is now divided, we will have such arrests in case it is detected by Serbia's security system. Serbia has created a database of active and non-active officials and is a high potential risk to be arrested if they pass from Serbia”, said EO, Shala. /Periscopi/