Appeal leaves Popovic in custody

2025-07-31 16:58:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

The Court of Appeals has rejected the appeal of Igor Popovic's lawyer, leaving in force the one-month detention imposed on the Serbian official.

On July 20, the Basic Court in Pristina issued a detention order against Popovic, the assistant director of the Office for Kosovo in the Serbian Government, who is suspected of the criminal offense of inciting discord and intolerance.

According to the Appeals Court's decision, as reported by Betimi për Drejtësi, the first instance court acted correctly when it ordered pre-trial detention, since, according to the court, there is a well-founded suspicion that Popovi? committed the criminal offense he is suspected of.

The appeal also cited a video where Popovic is seen and heard giving a speech in the Rahovec region, through which the Court said that there is sufficient reasonable suspicion that he committed this criminal offense.

The decision also stated that Popovic has Serbian citizenship and if he is freed, he would be untraceable by Kosovo institutions due to the fact that Serbia does not cooperate with Kosovo.

Popovic was detained on July 18 after, during the commemoration of the anniversary of the killing of Serbs in Rahovec, he called the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) a "terrorist organization."

Officials in Serbia have condemned Popovic's arrest, calling it a "political decision." They are demanding his immediate release.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vu?i? has warned Kosovo of "unforeseen consequences", a statement that has been described as a threat by Kosovo's acting Prime Minister Albin Kurti.

Kurti has asked the international community to react "clearly and decisively to Vu?i?'s threats," which, according to him, could destabilize the entire Western Balkans region.

Meanwhile, the acting Minister of Internal Affairs of Kosovo, Xhelal Sveçla, has said that the country will not tolerate insults and desecration of history and the war led by the KLA.

The KLA was a political-military force that fought for the liberation of Kosovo from Serbian rule in the period 1990-1999.

During the war in Kosovo in 1998/99, more than 13,000 civilians were killed, while thousands more went missing.

Around 1,600 people, mostly Albanians, have not yet been found.

Over the years, Kosovo's justice authorities have charged or convicted several people for war crimes. During the conference, Kurti said that Serbia has yet to apologize for the crimes committed in Kosovo./ REL