Prishtina, 29th of May 2023

Maintaining public order and security, enforcing the law in a professional, effective and efficient manner, as well as providing security to all citizens without distinction, remains the duty and continuous commitment of the Kosovo Police (KP).

Kosovo Police is continuing its commitments in providing security during the process of protests, which are taking place on three municipalities in the north of the country: Leposaviq, Zubin Potok and Zveqan.

In Zveqan, the protesters were continuously on-peaceful and continuously provoked the situation, displayed violence, threw various objects towards police officers, put and wrote provocative inscriptions with Serbian and Russian symbols on police and KFOR vehicles, as well as damaging tires and other parts of the vehicles.

Journalists from various media were also prevented and threatened by masked protesters, whose vehicles were damaged, one of them burned and Serbian nationalist inscriptions were also written on them. KP has provided security to the media/journalists as much as they could by moving them to the secure perimeter.

Sirens/alarms have been going on continuously in the northern municipalities in order to re-mobilize protesters. In Leposaviq protesters threw various objects and fireworks/pyrotechnic devices at police officers and police vehicles.

Kosovo Police proved professional and self-contained, avoiding continuous provocations, as well as asking the protesters to protest peacefully, not to attack and endanger the lives of police officers, to clear the road and enable official vehicles for traffic, as well as not to damage police and citizens’ vehicles, in order not to de-escalate the situation. KFOR officers who were present have continuously made such a request to the protesters, but the situation continued to stay the same.

Kosovo Police continuously has coordinated with KFOR to manage the situation. KFOR have been forced to act as the violence of the protesters has put the lives of officers at risk, damage of vehicles and public property has been at risk as well.

Protesters in Zveqan did not comply with the official orders to leave, but resisted and started throwing various items, Molotov cocktails, grenades, explosive devices, and gunshots were heard as well.

As a result of the uncontrolled violence, several KFOR officers have been injured/wounded so far. Five suspects who attacked and displayed violence against KFOR officers have been arrested so far.

An official KP car was set on fire and other cars were also damaged.

Kosovo Police continues to manage the situation in coordination with KFOR and has initiated intensive investigations related to the violence and attacks against the media, members of KFOR and the Police.

The protest is still ongoing, the situation continues to be tense especially in Zveqan, as in Zveqan and in other municipalities armed criminal groups/persons are circulating, dressed in black and masked.

Having these circumstances and the tense situation created by the criminal groups in the north of the country, Kosovo Police invites the citizens to remain calm and not to fall prey to provocations of any nature.