Three police officers from Kosovo, who were arrested by Serbian forces on June 14th, have been placed under pretrial detention.
The judge of the preliminary procedure at the Supreme Court in Kraljevo decided so following a request from the public prosecutor of the city in southern Serbia.
According to the announcement, the three officers are suspected of committing the criminal act of illegal production, possession, retention, and trafficking of firearms and explosive materials.
The duration of the pretrial detention is currently unclear.
The government of Kosovo claims that the officers were “abducted” as they were arrested on the territory of Kosovo.
Serbia denies this, stating that they were arrested within its territory.
The three officers were questioned on Friday at the Public High Prosecutor’s Office in Kraljevo.
Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti stated earlier that it appears the prosecutor in Serbia has dismissed the terrorism charges against the three arrested officers and has only retained the charges of illegal possession of weapons.
Kurti made these comments during an address at the Prespa Forum in Struga.
“I want to thank the U.S. Department of State for demanding the immediate and unconditional release of the three Kosovo police officers. This is the way forward,” he said.
“First, these police officers should be returned, but at the same time, the international community should strongly and clearly condemn Serbia’s aggression in Kosovo,” Kurti added.
He also stated that NATO should condemn the violation committed by Serbia against the Kumanovo Agreement, which ended the war in Kosovo in 1999, according to him.
Meanwhile, the United States and the United Kingdom have called for the immediate release of the three policemen.
