Kosovo and Metohija Office reveals who the Serb arrested by Kosovo police for alleged war crime is

Photo: kosovo-online.com

Members of the Kosovo police arrested Dusan Arsic, 51, at the Jarinje administrative crossing on Wednesday at around 11 pm. They acted on the order of a court which suspects him of committing an alleged war crime, the Office for Kosovo and Metohija has announced.

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According to the court order, he was transferred to Pristina, where he was interrogated until 3 am, it is stated. The Office for Kosovo and Metohija said that it has provided a lawyer for Dusan Arsic, who will represent him free of charge, and will inform all international organizations operating in Kosovo and Metohija about his case.

Arsic was arrested while returning to central Serbia from the territory of Kosovo and Metohija, and while traveling with two minor children.

"This is a man who went to Kosovo and Metohija several times, where he has residence in the vicinity of Pristina and never had any problems, until last night when he was arrested for an alleged war crime," the statement said.

For years, Arsic has been involved in a legal battle trying to get back his property in the village of Maticana near Pristina that has been usurped based on false documents and statements, and now, he has been arrested.

"This is obviously a new instance of pressure on Serb returnees, who are being arrested based on secret indictments for alleged war crimes, with the sole aim of deterring them from returning and claiming their property in Kosovo and Metohija," the Office said.

At the same time, the Office assessed that by doing so, Pristina is trying to create an artificial and unsustainable balance due to the fact that the leaders of the so-called KLA ("Kosovo Liberation Army") are on trial in The Hague, for crimes committed against Serbs and other non-Albanians.

"It is obvious that there is no readiness in Pristina to enable Serbs to return to their centuries-old homes and that they are using all available mechanisms of intimidation and deterrence in order to prevent the return of Serbs. Such secret indictments and arrests are the reason why the rate of return to Kosovo and Metohija is less than two percent and the lowest in any post-conflict area," the statement concluded.

(Telegraf.rs)