Four Serbian Social Work Centers in the north are closed, allegedly for "violating the will of the voters"

2025-02-21 12:09:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Four Serbian Social Work Centers in the north are closed, allegedly for

Kosovo Police closed the facilities of the Center for Social Work in North Mitrovica on Friday - which operated within the framework of the Serbian parallel system - due to suspicion that "illegal acts related to the electoral process" were carried out there.

Police said in a statement that they are inspecting the facilities of this center in three Serb-majority municipalities in the north - Zubin Potok, Leposavic and Zvecan - due to suspicions of "illegal actions related to the electoral process."

The Deputy Director of the Kosovo Police for the northern region, Veton Elshani, told Radio Free Europe that no one was arrested in this action and that an informational interview is being conducted with the director in charge of the Center for Social Work in North Mitrovica and Zveçan.

"He is suspected of the criminal offense of forging documents," Elshani said.

Kosovo Police said in a statement that they had requested permission from the Basic Prosecution Office in Mitrovica to search the premises of the Social Work Centers after four employees of this Center in Zubin Potok were arrested on February 8 for "violating the will of the voters."

According to the statement, these officials of "parallel and illegal institutions" are suspected of having called citizens and threatened them, or shown them how to vote, making it conditional on the payment of social assistance.

Parliamentary elections in Kosovo were held on February 9, and according to preliminary results from the Central Election Commission (CEC), the Vetëvendosje Movement of the current Prime Minister, Albin Kurti, won the most votes, while among the Serb community, the Serbian List, supported by Belgrade, won convincingly.

On February 21, the Serbian List reacted to the raids on Social Work Centers in several municipalities in northern Kosovo, claiming that Prime Minister Kurti "is using the last few days to once again attack everything Serbian."

"The Serbian List strongly condemns this illegal and anti-Serbian activity of Kurti's phalanx and sends a message that none of the employees or beneficiaries of social benefits will be left without their rights and that today the leadership of our party will meet with the employees and offer all possible support," the statement said.

The largest Serb party in Kosovo called on the international community to condemn "growing movements that drastically endanger the lives of thousands of social welfare beneficiaries."

On February 18, the German ambassador to Pristina, Jorn Rohde, said that Serbia had interfered in the elections in Kosovo, seeking votes for the Serbian List.

Nathalie Loiseau, head of the European Union election monitoring mission in Kosovo, also said on February 11 that Serbia had interfered in the elections through pressure on Serbian voters in Kosovo.

Members of the Serbian community in Kosovo receive various incomes from the Serbian budget, such as salaries, pensions, social assistance, child and parental allowances, and the like.

Kosovo authorities have closed most of the institutions operating within the Serbian system over the past year, arguing that their work is illegal, but official Belgrade has continued to pay them salaries./ Rel