Two Serbs detained in Goraždevac, Kosovo on election day, Knežević's DNP condemns arrest

During election day, Kosovo police detained two people in the village of Goraždevac on suspicion of influencing voters, which was strongly condemned by the Belgrade-based Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) and the Montenegrin Democratic People's Party (DNP).

Radio Goraždevac announced that these were RZ and MD and that, by order of the competent authorities, their family homes were searched in order to collect evidence.

Investigative authorities are investigating suspicions that those detained exerted unauthorized influence on voters, they said.

The Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) issued a statement condemning "today's arrest in Goraždevac" of a prominent host and official representative of that Serbian village - MD

The statement says that RZ, who is one of the most important Serb representatives in this area, was also detained with him.

The SPS also assessed that this represents "the grossest violation of human rights by (Kosovo Prime Minister Albin) Kurti", and that it once again shows that Serbs do not even have the most basic rights.

"It is particularly concerning that elections are being held today and that this is an obvious attempt to intimidate supporters of the Serbian List (which has the support of official Belgrade)," it added.

The SPS, a coalition partner in the government in Belgrade, has asked international forces "to urgently react and implement the provisions of UN Security Council Resolution 1244."

DNP: Continuation of institutional torture of the Serbian people in Kosovo

The Democratic People's Party (DNP), led by Milan Knežević, in a press release strongly condemned the arrest of the mayor of Kosovska Mitrovica Milan Radojević, the president of the North Mitrovica Municipal Assembly Ivan Zopoeošac, the representative of Goraždevac Miloš Dimitrijević and local activist Ranko Zdravković, as well as the searches of their family homes, believing that this is yet another in a series of pressures and forms of institutional torture to which the Serbian people in Kosovo have been exposed for years.

"The fact that such actions are being carried out in Serbian communities that are fighting a difficult battle for survival every day, faced with pressure, insecurity, restrictions on basic rights and constant attempts at intimidation, is particularly worrying. We see the arrest of Miloš Dimitrijević and Ranko Zdravković as an attack not only on them personally and their families, but also on the entire Serbian community in Goraždevac and Metohija," the statement said.

The DNP said they express solidarity with their compatriots who, as stated in the statement, despite numerous pressures, remain in their centuries-old homes and preserve their right to life, freedom and dignity.

They called on the international community, relevant international missions and human rights organizations to react urgently, ensure respect for the rights of Miloš Dimitrijević and Ranko Zdravković and stop, as they say, the torture being carried out there against the Serbian population.