Another incident has occurred in the predominantly Serb-populated north, where some Serbian officials and media outlets have raised claims about the beating of a local resident from their community by the Kosovo Police.
Outside of media reports, Sbunker has learned that this case has also been reported to the relevant institutions for verification.
On April 14, 2024, Kosovo Online published an article titled "Kosovo's special forces beat a Serb and threatened him with a weapon near Zubin Potok." The article refers to Vladan Stevanovic, from the village of Bube near Zubin Potok. Stevanovic stated that he was stopped by special units of the Kosovo Police, who used physical violence against him, and added that he received medical treatment after the attack.
The same article was also shared by other Serbian media outlets such as Danas.rs, Blic.rs, Izazov.com, Naslovi.net, B98.net, Tanjug.rs. In addition to the media, this case was also posted on the "X" platform, where it sparked reactions from commenters.
Stefanovic shared with Serbian media how the beating occurred, after which he required medical treatment.
He added that on the day of the attack, he was stopped twice by the Kosovo Police. Initially, he said he was asked for documents, specifically a Kosovo ID, which he did not have with him at the time. However, when he was stopped a second time, as he explained, the police found a photo of the ID on his phone and demanded an explanation for why it was not presented the first time. While the police had his phone, a message appeared in a Telegram group which the police officers saw, which read "Kosovo is Serbia."
"One of the users following that page, and there are thousands of them, wrote: 'Kosovo is Serbia' and they saw it and then the questions started: 'Why are you following this, is Kosovo Serbia?' They were there to beat me. I have eight or nine stitches and four stitches on my lip," Stevanovic told Kosovo Online.
The institution responsible for investigating police actions when they exceed their authority is the Police Inspectorate of Kosovo (PIK). According to them, a complaint was filed on April 14, and preliminary investigations were started the following day in coordination with the State Prosecutor.
"...depending on the findings, action will be taken in accordance with the applicable legislation," states the response from the PIK sent to Sbunker.
The case was mentioned by the Serbian List, which continued with the narrative that the Kosovo Police aims to mistreat Serbs. According to them, the incident was initiated by the Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti.
"These are the best and most recent examples of how the rights and freedoms of the Serbian people in Kosovo are respected, and at the same time best illustrate how much international representatives care about the position of the Serbian people in Kosovo," stated the Serbian List.
Reactions also came from politicians in northern Kosovo. The leader of “Serb Democracy”, Aleksandar Arsenijeviq, conducted an interview with Vladan Stevanovic, in which they explained how the event occurred.
This is not the first time such cases have been given political connotations and linked to the alleged campaign against Serbs, although there is no final conclusion from the investigative bodies.
*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.”
