Serbia arrests former KLA member after veteran's card found in his pocket

The Vice President of the Organization of Veterans of the Kosovo Liberation Army (OVL-UCK), Gazmend Syla, has confirmed that authorities in Serbia have arrested former KLA member Avni Qenaj, from the village of Romajë in Prizren.

According to Syla, Qenaj, a former member of the 138th "Agim Ramadani" brigade, was stopped while crossing into Serbian territory, and it is suspected that Serbian security forces found his veteran's card during the search.

He stressed that Qenaj had passed through Serbia several times before without any problems.

The Serbian Ministry of Internal Affairs announced earlier that it has arrested a person identified by the initials AQ, whom it suspects of "organizing and inciting the commission of genocide and war crimes."

According to Serbian authorities, the suspect allegedly joined the local KLA headquarters in Prizren in April 1998 and participated in the 1999 fighting in Koshare as a member of the 138th “Agim Ramadani” brigade.

Qenaj has been ordered to be detained for 48 hours, while the Serbian Ministry of Internal Affairs has announced that a criminal report will be filed against him at the prosecutor's office.

Kosovo institutions have not yet reacted to this case. Radio Free Europe has requested a response from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora.

Cases of arrests of Kosovo citizens in Serbia have increased in recent years, with Belgrade's repeated allegations of war crimes committed by former KLA members.

In July of this year, Serbia also arrested Lulzim Halili, although the OVL-UCK stated at the time that he did not appear on the lists of veterans or participants in the Battle of Koshare.

The Battle of Koshare remains one of the most important clashes of the 1999 war, with significant losses on both sides and deep historical significance for Kosovo and Serbia.

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