Serbian authorities have arrested former Kosovo Liberation Army member Avni Qenaj from the village of Romajë in Prizren. The news was confirmed by the deputy head of the Organization of KLA Veterans (OVL-KLA), Gazmend Syla, who said that Qenaj was detained while transiting through Serbian territory.
According to Syla, Qenaj was a member of the 138th “Agim Ramadani” brigade and it is suspected that Serbian police found his veteran's card during the search. He stressed that Qenaj had traveled through Serbia several times before without any problems.
The Serbian Ministry of Internal Affairs announced that it has arrested a person with the initials AQ, suspected of “organizing and inciting the commission of genocide and war crimes.” According to the MUP, he is suspected of having joined the local KLA headquarters in Prizren in April 1998 and having participated in the 1999 battles in Koshare as a member of the 138th Brigade.
Avni Qenaj has been ordered to be detained for 48 hours, while Serbian authorities have warned that criminal charges will be filed against him at the prosecutor's office.
Kosovo institutions have not yet given an official reaction. Radio Free Europe has requested a response from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora.
Similar arrests of Kosovo citizens by Serbian authorities have been reported before, in the context of Belgrade's allegations of war crimes committed by former KLA members. In July of this year, Lulzim Halili was also arrested, although the OVL-KLA stated at the time that he does not appear on the lists of veterans or participants of the Battle of Koshara.
