In the context of the recent events, namely after the arrest of the former member of the Kosovo Police, Dejan Pantiq, who allegedly attacked the offices of the Municipal Electoral Commission (MEC) in the north of Kosovo, barricades were placed on the roads leading to the points border in Jarinje and Bërnjak. There have also been reports about these events from the media in Serbia, which have speculated about the motives for setting up the barricades and the activities undertaken by the Kosovo Police (KP) in the north.
On December 11, Kurir.rs published the news "ROSU MEMBERS ATTACKED GAZIVODA WITH ARMORED VEHICLES: They removed the Serbian flags, occupied the dam building".
Further, the news says that "With [gun] barrels and armored vehicles, they caught the guard who was measuring the water level there, drove him out of the building and tore down the Serbian flags that were there. According to the latest information, they are still in the facility near the big dam in Gazivode, which they occupied by violence and illegally". Attached to the news is a photograph with the lake of Ujman and a policeman of the special unit who carries a long gun.
However, this news does not support the allegation of attack on the Ujman guard with any facts or arguments. Even the KP has denied this news and the claims of "some Serbian media which refer to the fact that special units of the KP have detained and mistreated a Serbian citizen/employee in Ujmani and have taken the facilities in that location".
Furthermore, the KP also clarified the location of its members, saying that the units of the KP are located on the main road that leads towards the border point of Bërnjak and that it is not located in any specific facility, nor mistreated any person or employee, as published in the media. According to KP, only "one person was legitimized who was making phone recordings in that location, who continued without any problems after legitimization".
Despite the international community's request for the removal of the barricades in the north, they have not yet been removed. Meanwhile, the Government of Kosovo has urged KFOR, which is mandated to guarantee freedom of movement, to remove the barricades as soon as possible.
*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.”
