PRISHTINA – The Prime Minister of Kosova, Albin Kurti, said that the state is doing everything so that the three policemen of Kosova, abducted by the Serbian forces, “are released as soon as possible”.

The three Kosova policemen were patrolling in Leposavic on June 14, near the border with Serbia, when, according to the authorities in Kosova, they were kidnapped by Serbian forces.

Serbia says it arrested them “deep” inside Serbian territory and a court in Kraleva has sentenced them to 30 days of detention.

“We once again invite the international factors to condemn Serbia’s aggression on June 14, when their special military and police units kidnapped our policemen, the anti-terrorist unit and that they call ‘Cobra’ of the army, three of our policemen in Leposavic, who were exactly to a closed illegal smuggling route. In all likelihood, based on the information we have, at the beginning of next week, Ambassador Jetish Jashari, who is the head of the Liaison Office in Belgrade, will be able to visit the three policemen”, Kurti told the media on June 18.

The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora of Kosova, Kreshnik Ahmeti, told Radio Free Europe earlier in the week that the three policemen “are being held in inhumane conditions, without food and without adequate medical treatment”.

These claims have been rejected by the Serbian side, which has accused Prishtina of mistreating the arrested Serbs.

Germany, United Kingdom and United States have demanded the immediate release of three Kosova police officers. The US Department of State has said that “their arrest and detention under baseless charges have worsened the already tense situation”.

Meanwhile, the NATO peacekeeping mission in Kosova, KFOR, on June 16 stated that “based on the available data, it remains unclear where the Kosova Police officers were at the time of the arrest”.

The case of the three Kosova policemen is happening at a time of increasing tensions in the north of Kosova, inhabited by a majority of Serbs.