The regional police director of south Mitrovica, Nehat Thaci was released today. The news was confirmed by Thaci’s attorney Vladimir Gajic.

“Our request to release Thaci was approved. He is now going home,” Gajic said.

Thaci was arrested on September 28 close to the Kosovo-Serbia border in Dheu i Bardhe / Konculj by Serbian police on terrorism charges, and is suspected of expelling a Serbian family from their home in Lipjan in 1999.

Thaci’s release comes a day after another Kosovo Albanian was arrested in Serbia. Hilmi Kelmendi was detained by Serbian police on charges of war crimes earlier this week.  

In a press release issued on Monday, the Kosovo Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that Kelmendi’s arrest unacceptable and seriously jeopardizes the achieved processes following the negotiations for the normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will continue observing this new and absurd situation created with Serbia, elevating it to the highest levels with our international friends, the US and the EU, and all of our other allies. Our diplomatic mission in Belgrade and the institutions of Kosovo are continuously coordinating on steps to ensure the necessary legal and humane defense of the recently arrested Kosovo nationals,” the press release says.

Furthermore, the ministry appealed to all Kosovo citizens to maximally avoid transiting through Serbia for any reason.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also asks from other countries in the region and the EU to disregard arrest warrants for Kosovo citizens by Serbia, as has done until now,” the press release states.