The systematic persecution of arrests of Kosova citizens by the Serbian regime, international silence is legitimizing violence as a repressive state policy

Detained citizens face no concrete or evidence-based charges

The recent arrest of former police officer of the Special Operations Unit, Arbnor Spahiu, by the Serbian gendarmerie during his transit through Serbian territory, is clear evidence of the systematic persecution being carried out by the Belgrade regime against the citizens of Kosova. Spahiu, an ordinary citizen of the Republic of Kosova and former member of law enforcement institutions, was detained suddenly and arbitrarily, without prior warning or clear legal justification. He is only the latest victim of a well-organized state campaign aimed at intimidating, humiliating, and using Kosova Albanians for Serbia’s internal political and nationalist purposes.

This practice of selective arrests, targeting primarily former soldiers of the Kosova Liberation Army, former police officers, and individuals who have held positions in Kosova’s institutions, has become a norm under the regime of Aleksandar Vučić. In the absence of an extradition agreement and in violation of all international standards for freedom of movement, Serbia is using its territory as a trap for those citizens forced to travel through it, particularly on journeys toward European Union countries. The list of politically motivated arrests and detentions continues to grow, including both well-known cases and many others that have not received the media or international attention they deserve.

The Serbian regime acts with deep political motivation, inspired by a nationalist ideology that aims to delegitimize Kosova’s struggle for freedom and propagate a falsified historical narrative, portraying Albanians as aggressors and Serbia as the victim. In this context, Spahiu’s arrest is not an isolated incident but part of a chain of coordinated actions by Serbian state structures — including border police, gendarmerie, and the judicial system – that provide legal cover for a politically motivated campaign.

In many cases, detained citizens face no concrete or evidence-based charges. They are held for hours or even days without informing their families or providing proper legal representation. Many appear on Serbian watch lists for alleged “war crimes,” despite having been investigated and declared innocent by international courts. This reflects a deliberate effort to replace justice with vengeance and to use Kosova’s past as a tool for political pressure.

Serbia uses these cases to show its nationalist domestic audience that it is “fighting Albanian criminals,” thus legitimizing its propaganda that criminalizes the KLA’s just war and the state of Kosova as a whole. On the other hand, this strategy also serves as a means of pressuring Kosova’s institutions, particularly in sensitive political contexts such as the Brussels dialogue, recognition negotiations, or crises in the northern part of the country.

Moreover, this form of persecution extends even to ordinary Kosova citizens who have no ties to institutions or the war, but who are simply Albanians traveling through Serbia. Arbitrary checks, unjustified detentions, and offensive behavior by the Serbian gendarmerie have become an everyday experience for Kosovar travelers. This ethnic discrimination, supported by the state apparatus, makes any transit through Serbian territory unsafe and practically impossible.

In this alarming situation, the international response has been weak and insufficient. The European Union and the QUINT countries have mostly limited themselves to general statements, without concrete demands or appropriate pressure on Belgrade to stop these actions. The lack of a strong reaction emboldens Vučić’s regime to continue this repressive practice without consequence. Instead of upholding international justice standards, the international community seems to turn a blind eye in order to preserve the “balance” in the Kosova-Serbia dialogue, treating Serbia as an equal party even when it acts as a repressive state.

The institutions of the Republic of Kosova have protested and demanded the release of unjustly arrested citizens, but without adequate international support, their voice has not been enough. Meanwhile, Serbia continues to use justice as a political weapon, constantly generating lists of “Albanian criminals” and activating them whenever it seeks to escalate tensions or control the narrative within its domestic audience.

The case of former police officer Spahiu is a clear signal that the persecution of Kosova citizens is not an accidental deviation but a state policy. Serbia is not merely a country that refuses to recognize Kosova – it is a state actively seeking to destabilize it and intimidate its citizens. If the international community does not intervene decisively to protect the fundamental rights of the citizens of a sovereign state, this repressive model will only deepen and may threaten the stability of the entire region.

Kosova needs concrete support, immediate international mechanisms to halt these arrests, and a much firmer stance toward Serbia if it continues to use justice as a tool of political persecution. If this silence continues, Arbnor’s arrest will not be the last – it will only be part of an increasingly dangerous chain of actions by a state that has not given up its hegemonic ambitions toward Kosova and its citizens. /The Balkan Report/