Source: European Parliament
Question for written answer E-003126/2025
to the Commission
Rule 144
Thierry Mariani (PfE)
On 18 July 2025, Igor Popović, Deputy Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, was arrested by the Pristina authorities, with a 30-day detention order. No infringements have been committed that justify this measure. The only thing he is accused of is publicly stating, at a commemoration, that the war crimes committed in July 1998 against Serbs and Roma have been attributed to the Kosovo Liberation Army – facts that are currently being examined by the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague.
Igor Popović’s arrest is a clear violation of freedom of expression, an attempt at political intimidation and a serious breach of the rule of law. It is part of a broader context of persecution faced by the Serbian population in Kosovo and Metohija.
The Commission is a facilitator of the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue.
- 1.Can the Commission say whether it condemns the political arrest of Igor Popović and demands his immediate release?
- 2.Will it continue to provide financial and political support to the Pristina authorities while they violate human rights?
- 3.How will it preserve the credibility of the EU-facilitated dialogue if Pristina continues to act with impunity, undermining de-escalation and reconciliation efforts?
Submitted: 29.7.2025