Serbia assigns one month to Kosovo's detention for which it claims to be part of KLA

According to Serbian authorities, he is suspected of war crimes.

Serbia claims he was a member of the Kosovo Liberation Army (UÇK), but such a claim has been rejected by the KLA Veterans Organisation.

“on July 24th 2025, the War Crimes Prosecutor in Belgrade has issued orders for the launch of investigations against L.H., due to allegations of carrying out the criminal act of organising and promoting genocide and war crimes”, the War Crimes Prosecutor said in Belgrade.

Kosovo's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Diaspore (MPJD) said on July 23rd that it has informed the delegation of the European Union and QUINT states in Serbia concerning the case.

MPJD said it was not officially informed by Serbia of Halil's arrest.

You can just confirm if Mr. Halili will submit to the detention measure and criminal procedure will be initiated against him, the Liaison Office will submit official request for a visit to the Centre of Keeping”, the MPJD said on July 23rd.

From the KLA's OVL, they have earlier told Radio Free Europe that the name of Lulzim Halil was not found in the archives of war veterans, nor on lists of several KLA brigades.

Media in Serbia have reported that Halili is suspected of war crimes against humanity. He claims he was The KLA and has acted in the Pristina, Pec and Gjakova regions, as well as claims to have participated in an attack on a Yugoslav military post in Kostunica.

“Actually, neither has the status of a warrior veteran, nor the status of a member veteran, nor has the status of a participating veteran”, KLA Free Europe Deputy Chairman Gazmend Syla told Radio Free Europe.

Syla said Halil's name was not even found in the 138 Brigade archives. Agim Ramadani, who has operated in Kostunica.

Syla has raised doubts that his arrest may have occurred in a sign of “revenge for what happened to the representative of the Kosovo Office in Serbia, as they say, who was arrested after his statements in Rahovec”.

He referred to the arrest of Igor Popovic, assistant director of the Office for Kosovo in the Serbian government.

Popovic was arrested on July 18th in Kosovo and allegedly committed the criminal work of “inciting division and failure to give”, after a speech in Rahovec had been named KLA as the “terrorist organisation”.

Serbia has sought its release and has warned of the unpredictable “consequences”, meanwhile Kosovo's incumbent Prime Minister, Albin Kurti, has called on citizens to avoid crossing through Serbia after saying there are indifferences for provocations and arbitrary bans of Kosovo citizens.

In recent years, several Kosovo citizens have been arrested in Serbia, who Belgrade claims have committed war crimes. / REL