EULEX rejects accusations from Serbs in north

EULEX rejects accusations from Serbs in north

The management team for establishment of a community of Serb municipalities, mayors from northern Kosovo, and representatives of the local government announced that they would end their cooperation with the EULEX police because of the increasing frequency of arrests of Serbs.

"The latest operation in which our fellow citizen was practically kidnapped as he was going to work, as well as the now common practice of setting automatic detention for 30 days for everyone brought in by the EULEX police, requires us to listen to the voice of the people and to cancel the cooperation with EULEX police and declare them unwelcome in the municipalities of Kosovska Mitrovica, Leposavić, Zubin Potok, and Zvečan," a statement said on Thursday.

Reacting to this, the EULEX mission said that it "does not share their view that an arrest of a suspect on the order of a prosecutor was kidnapping, especially when the suspect complies with the order, so that only three police officers are needed to make the arrest, even without handcuffing the suspect."

In the rule of law, no one but law enforcement officers, prosecutors and judges can invoke the right to authorize the administration of justice, according to the statement.

The EULEX mission also emphasized that it would "welcome, as previously stated, any constructive approach to the application of the rule of law in northern Kosovo and the everyday security of the population. "

EULEX also added that it was "ready to contribute, together with the Kosovo police, to securing those areas determined by mayors, in a legitimate way, as needed."