Serbia takes revenge on the citizens of Kosovo for voting in the Council of Europe, by blocking hundreds of them at its borders

Serbia has blocked hundreds of Kosovar travelers at its borders with Croatia and Hungary in retaliation after voting for Kosovo in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. Kosovo citizens, including children, were deprived of food and medicine for hours. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora and the Ministry of Interior have urged citizens to avoid transit through Serbia. “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora and the Ministry of Internal Affairs announce that following the situation at the border points in Serbia and the arbitrary stopping of Kosovo citizens at border crossings, all compatriots and citizens who are traveling should avoid them All costs go through Serbia.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora and Ministry of Internal Affairs are taking the necessary measures and will keep you updated on new details. “All travelers are asked to closely monitor the tense security situation and not to travel through Serbia,” the two ministries said in a statement, warning against fake news. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced in another statement that the institutions had been informed that Kosovo buses passing through the border point between Serbia and Croatia in Batrovci had been stopped by the Serbian border authorities. The same situation prevails at the border crossing in Shid. This ministry announced that the personal documents of the passengers and the buses had been confiscated. “In addition, some of them were arrested and are still being interrogated,” the statement said.

The Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, wrote one day after the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe voted in favor of Kosovo’s membership that Serbia was taking revenge on the civilian population. “Serbia is taking revenge on the civilian population of Kosovo. Until this morning, over 300 of our citizens – including children – were arbitrarily detained at the border and deprived of food and medicine. A serious violation of human rights!” said Kurti.

The President of Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani, also reacted and said that the person responsible for this situation was the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić. “Serbia is taking revenge on the citizens of Kosovo one day after the Council of Europe vote in the APE by holding many hostages at the border points, intimidating them, confiscating documents and depriving them of food.” One man is responsible for this: Vucic. As I have been doing all day, I appeal to our partners to act quickly,” Osmani wrote.

The European Union has responded by calling on Serbia to return to the Agreement on the Free Movement of Persons. “We are aware of the situation and are following it closely. The agreement on free movement reached in the framework of the EU-supported dialog sets clear parameters for the entry and exit of Kosovo citizens to and from Serbia. The current situation constitutes a breach of this agreement. “The EU calls on Serbia to refrain from such unilateral and uncoordinated measures and to return to compliance with the agreement without delay,” European Union spokesperson Peter Stano told the media in Kosovo.

The issue of freedom of movement is governed by the Agreement on the Free Movement of Persons, which Kosovo and Serbia concluded in Brussels in 2011. This agreement states that “citizens (permanent residents) of both parties should be able to travel freely within or through the territory of the other party and move at border points only with an identity card.”/TheGeopost.