Kosovo expels policeman from Serbian community, Sveçla: Recruited by Serbian intelligence and security institutions!

Kosovo will forcibly expel a Kosovo citizen from the Serbian community after Kosovo's acting Interior Minister, Xhelal Sveçla, stripped him of his Kosovo citizenship on Saturday, saying he was recruited by Serbia's intelligence and security institutions.

In a Facebook post, Svečla said that Nikola Vujović "poses a danger to our national security as a member of the Serbian police forces."

Later, Kosovo Police said in a media release that the Directorate for Migration and Foreigners has initiated procedures “to forcibly remove” Vujović from our country.

"Pending the conclusion of these procedures, in fulfillment of the conditions for the execution of the decision, the person in question has been sentenced to detention in the Detention Center for Foreigners," the announcement states.

Meanwhile, the Office for Kosovo in the Serbian Government said that Kosovo authorities detained three members of the Serbian Ministry of Internal Affairs (MUP) and a retired officer on Saturday.

Regarding the detainee with the initials NV, the Serbian Office said that the Kosovo authorities have made a decision for "illegal deportation".

Svçla said that Serbia is making "systematic efforts" to internally destabilize Kosovo, by employing Kosovo citizens within its security and intelligence institutions, "an act in violation of our laws and a violation of our national security."

He emphasized that he based his decision to revoke Vujović's citizenship on the Law on Citizenship, the bylaws, and the recommendations of the relevant institutions.

"We cannot and will not tolerate any form of violation of Kosovo's national security by anyone. Kosovo is the country of all our citizens and it will not be tolerated that anyone becomes an instrument of undermining its statehood," he said.

According to the Law on Citizenship in Kosovo, a person loses citizenship if he/she engages in activities that endanger the national security of Kosovo, when he/she is intentionally a member of an organization that aims to destroy or damage the constitutional order of Kosovo; when he/she is a member of the intelligence service or police forces of another state.

The minister did not provide further details about Vujovic or his suspected activities.

Later, the Kosovo Ministry of Interior said that Vujović, being also a citizen of Serbia, had engaged in activities “that undermine the security of Kosovo, in his capacity as a member of the Serbian police forces – all this without the consent of the competent body and without prior international agreement as provided for by the legislation in force.”

Sveçla's decision comes at a time when Kosovo authorities have arrested Serbs and Albanians in Kosovo on suspicion of spying for Serbia's intelligence services.

As cases increase, security experts say that Serbian intelligence has spread its roots throughout the territory of Kosovo over the years.

Earlier this month, the Basic Court in Pristina sentenced Aleksandar Vllajic to five years in prison after he pleaded guilty to charges of being involved in espionage as a member of the Serbian Intelligence and Security Agency (BIA). /REL/