Kosovska Mitrovica Serbs protest arrest of compatriots

KOSOVSKA MITROVICA - Serbs in the north of Kosovska Mitrovica staged a protest on Thursday over the arrest of two Serb men by the so-called Kosovo Police earlier in the day.

Serbian Democracy leader Aleksandar Arsenijevic and the party's official Stefan Veljkovic were detained for protesting against the painting over of Serbian flags painted on a wall near the main bridge on the Ibar River, which separates the north and south of Kosovska Mitrovica.

The so-called Kosovo Police used violent force during the arrest.

They were later released and joined the protesters - who had gathered outside the police station where the two were held - for a protest walk to a monument to Prince Lazar in the town centre.

The protesters held a Serbian flag and a banner reading "If Kurti opens the bridge, Kfor and the Quint will be responsible for everything."

In a reaction to the arrest, the Serbian government Office for Kosovo-Metohija and Srpska lista - a political organisation of Kosovo-Metohija Serbs - said Pristina's PM Albin Kurti was creating impossible living conditions for Serbs in Kosovo-Metohija on a daily basis to pressure them into leaving the territory.

They also called on the Kurti regime to stop arresting and harassing Serbs.

The Serbs make up 95 per cent of the population in the northern part of Kosovska Mitrovica.

The southern part of the town is populated by ethnic Albanians, who have attempted incursions across the bridge on several occasions in the past, which has resulted in clashes.

The bridge is constantly being guarded by Italian Carabinieri, who are a part of Kfor troops.

Pristina has announced the bridge will be opened to traffic. This has drawn strong opposition from the EU, the OSCE, EULEX, Kfor and the US, which have all noted that the issue should be a part of the EU-facilitated Belgrade-Pristina dialogue.

The Pristina authorities have parked three trucks on the bridge to test its load-bearing capacity before it can be opened to traffic.