ARRESTS AND PROPERTY DEMOLITIONS HEIGHTEN SERB INSECURITY IN KOSOVO AND METOHIJA

BELGRADE, OCTOBER 19 /SRNA/ – Insecurity among Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija has increased amid arrests, police mistreatment, property demolitions and displacement, according to a six-month report by the UN secretary-general on the work of the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo /UNMIK/.

The report, which is due to be presented at a UN Security Council meeting tomorrow, says that the closure and disruption of institutions operating within Serbia's system, along with restrictions on religious and cultural symbols, have also heightened insecurity and concern among Serbs.

The document states that the overall security situation in Kosovo and Metohija has nevertheless remained stable, while the institutional deadlock has persisted. The situation in the north remains calm but fragile amid ongoing friction between central and local /Serb/ authorities.

The report says progress in implementing the Brussels Agreement has remained limited, while tensions between the authorities in Priština and local /Serb/ self-government bodies have increased, particularly in northern Kosovo and Metohija.

Covering the period from March 16 to September 15, the report notes that several Serbs were arrested on suspicion of war crimes, while three were convicted in connection with the events in Banjska in September 2023.

It emphasizes that the closure and disruption of institutions operating within Serbia's system have heightened Serbs' concerns about access to services and legal certainty.

The report also points to restrictions involving religious and cultural symbols, law enforcement operations, police mistreatment, the demolition of Serbian-owned property and the displacement of Serbs.

These developments, it says, have contributed to a sense of insecurity and unequal treatment among Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija.

Challenges also remain regarding the reintegration of Serb judges and prosecutors, alongside concerns over language rights, media freedom and religious freedom.

The UN Security Council meeting is scheduled for tomorrow in New York at 9 p.m. Central European Time.