The case of the fugitive from Kosovo, Faton Hajrizi, who was killed last Friday in Serbia after having killed a Serbian police officer and injured another, continues to provoke reactions and accusations from Serbian officials. Serbia's Interior Minister, Ivica Dacic, has continued to make appearances on Serbian television, spreading misinformation regarding the actions taken by Kosovo following Hajrizi's escape from prison, where he was serving time for several criminal offenses.
After implicating Kosovo's structures in supposedly planning the killing of the Serbian police officer, Minister Dačić, in interviews with two Serbian TV channels, "Blic" and "Kurir," claimed that there was no arrest warrant against Hajrizi. According to him, this circumstance allowed Hajrizi to attempt to escape through Serbian territory.
Dacic's interview at "Kurir"
"We do not cooperate with the Kosovo police because we do not recognize Kosovo as an independent state. We achieve police cooperation through EULEX and other police organizations that have offices here. What happened there, why, when did he escape? They responded that no warrant had been issued. No warrant has been issued for him," said Dačić, without clarifying what type of warrant he was referring to.
After Hajrizi's escape from the Correctional Center in Smrekonicë, Vushtrri, the police declared him wanted and sought the public's help in locating him. In a public announcement on July 6, the police also released information about Hajrizi's identity, along with a request for cooperation in his arrest.
"The Kosovo Police - Regional Directorate of Police in South Mitrovica, with the authorization of the prosecutor of the Basic Prosecution in Mitrovica, has been authorized to publish the photograph of the fugitive mentioned below, in the hope that with the cooperation of the media and the citizens, it will be possible to locate and arrest the person declared wanted. The Kosovo Police request the citizens of the Republic of Kosovo to inform the Kosovo Police of any information related to the person in question or his whereabouts," read the police announcement.
Announcement from the Kosovo Police regarding the wanted status of Hajrizi
In the same interview for the Serbian media, Dacic used as a political argument the claim that Hajrizi is being treated as a hero in Kosovo. He also mentioned the KLA to suggest that the operation to kill Serbian police officers was much broader. However, he did not provide evidence implicating Kosovo's structures.
"He did not come with a travel bag, but with a weapon and two magazines. He was preparing to carry out a difficult job. When institutions like the police are attacked, it is a terrorist act. What was his intention? He wanted to kill more police officers, and perhaps even civilians," said Dacic.
In line with this, Serbian media have also given space to social media profiles that have glorified and dedicated songs to Hajrizi following the killing of the Serbian police officer.
Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti has urged citizens not to fall prey to the euphoria of heroizing and romanticizing Faton Hajrizi. He called for both local and international investigations to clarify everything that happened with Faton Hajrizi, from his escape to Serbia to his reported death.
On July 6, Faton Hajrizi escaped from the Smrekonicë Prison. This was the ninth time he had escaped from prisons in Kosovo, and he had been incarcerated for almost the entire post-war period. Hajrizi was initially sentenced for the murder of a Russian soldier in Skënderaj and later for several attempted murders and armed robberies. His targets also included Kosovo police officers. After his latest escape from Smrekonicë Prison, he appeared on social media mocking and accusing Kosovo government officials.
*This article is published as part of the Western Balkans Regional Initiative against disinformation. “Western Balkans Anti-Disinformation Hub: exposing malign influences through watchdog journalism.”
