Civil society organizations have reported that the Kosovo police apprehended six minors last night, employing excessive force and failing to notify their parents.

This incident has been criticized as indicative of unprofessionalism and considerable ethnic bias within the Kosovo Police.

Kossev detailed the account of a Bosniak minor who claimed that at the Sjever police station, detained minors were subjected to inhumane treatment. The minor, referred to as D, reported being slapped, punched in the head, and struck in the ribs by the police.

The police detained the minors on suspicions of involvement in an interethnic incident in northern Kosovska Mitrovica.

According to Kossev, among those detained were three Serbs, one Bosniak, and two Albanians.

“Following the wrongful arrest, three Serbs, approximately 14 years old, were released shortly afterward. The others, all minors, were also released overnight, with the investigation still ongoing,” stated Kossev.

Minor D described an encounter while walking down the street, saying, “A police officer in a bulletproof vest approached me, along with another officer in civilian clothes. He drew his gun and began shouting. I knelt down as he held the gun to my head.”

Subsequently, he was thrown to the ground, handcuffed, and subjected to kicking and punching.

At the police station, he reported that authorities demanded he write down the names of his companions. When he refused, he was met with shouting and further assaults to his head, jaw, back of the head, and ribs.

D also mentioned they asked him to unlock his phone, which he declined, leading to the lights being turned off, the blinds being lowered, and subsequent physical assaults.

Civil society organizations noted that such incidents are not isolated and highlighted that this occurrence reflects the inadequate response from relevant authorities and international organizations that assist the Kosovo Police both financially and materially.

They expressed concern over the troubling security landscape for Serbs and other minority communities in northern Kosovo, pointing out that the most significant security threat originates from the very institution meant to protect it—the Kosovo Police.

The organizations are advocating for actions from both the Kosovo Police Inspectorate and the appropriate prosecutor’s office, alongside a robust diplomatic response from the EU and the US.

“This initiative should aim to restore constitutionally guaranteed proportional ethnic representation within the local police and appoint a Kosovo Serb as the regional police commander, in line with the Brussels Agreement,” they stated.

They urged EULEX to enhance monitoring of the Kosovo Police in northern Kosovo, particularly regarding ethnically biased treatment, to document and prevent potential abuses of power.

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