Serbia threatens Kosovo's foreign minister with arrest
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 17 April 2015 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Serbia threatens Kosovo's foreign minister with arrest, 17 April 2015, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5565ba0a15.html [accessed 2 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
April 17, 2015
Serbian authorities have threatened to arrest Kosovar Foreign Minister Hashim Thaci, who is scheduled to attend a regional conference in Belgrade next week.
Serbian Interior Minister Nebojsa Stefanovic said on April 16 that Belgrade will arrest Thaci, who in 1997 was sentenced to 10 years in jail for "terrorism," if he crosses into Serbia.
On April 16, Thaci's advisor Ardian Arifaj told the media that "it depends on the Belgrade authorities whether Thaci will go or not."
However, on April 17, Arifaj said that Thaci "has in principle accepted an invitation to visit Belgrade" to attend an April 24 conference on the accession of the Western Balkans into the European Union.
Thaci was the former leader of the ethnic Albanian Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA), the guerrilla group that fought against Serbian forces during the 1998-1999 Kosovo conflict.
Thaci also oversaw Kosovo's declaration of independence in 2008 and has been involved in EU-mediated talks since then.
Based on reporting by AFP, Reuters
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
