A former member of the Kosovo Liberation Army, a citizen of Kosovo, was arrested by authorities in Serbia on the morning of February 5, said the Organization of Kosovo Liberation Army War Veterans (OVL UÇK) and lawyer Arianti Koci.
Serbian authorities confirmed that Mit'hat Lozhani was arrested on suspicion of crimes against the civilian population.
The deputy head of the KLA OVL, Gazmend Syla, said that Lozhani was arrested at the border between Serbia and Croatia and during the search, the KLA veteran's membership card was found in his pocket.
Syla added that he has participated in several training exercises in Albania and there is no information that he has been on the front lines in Kosovo.
Serbian Interior Minister Ivica Dacic claims that he is suspected of crimes against the civilian population.
According to him, Mit'hat Lozhani has been detained for 48 hours and will then be brought before the War Crimes Prosecutor's Office where he will be indicted.
According to Serbia, he is suspected of having undergone training as a member of the KLA of the Dukagjini Operational Zone in 1998 and 1999 "after which he participated in terrorist attacks against members of the Serbian MUP and the Yugoslav army".
The announcement also states that "as a member of the group commanded by Ramush Haradinaj, he participated in the kidnapping and massacre of police officers."
In the wake of these accusations, the Serbian minister claimed that Mit'hat Lozhani was part of a group commanded by Ramush Haradinaj and that he had participated in the kidnappings and murders of Serbian police members.
These statements represent the continuation of a familiar narrative of the Serbian authorities, who for years have been trying to equate the KLA's liberation war with criminal acts.
In Kosovo, such cases are seen as part of a political and legal strategy by Serbia to criminalize former members of the Kosovo Liberation Army, through unfounded accusations and selective procedures, while documented crimes by Serbian forces against Albanian civilians remain largely unpunished.
Kosovar lawyer Arianti Koci said the arrest occurred around 11:00 a.m. on February 5.
According to him, this case is not isolated, as arrests of Kosovo citizens passing through Serbia are recurring.
He asked the Kosovo authorities to react to these arrests, without ruling out political measures, "including a 24-hour closure of the border, if the arrests continue."
"For my part, in my capacity as a lawyer, the maximum possible is being done. However, the effective protection of Kosovo citizens cannot remain only at the individual level. This is the responsibility of the state, within and outside its borders," he wrote.
Serbia has repeatedly arrested Kosovo citizens on charges of war crimes in Kosovo in 1998-99, and only in 2025 were several such arrests recorded.
Arrests of Kosovo citizens in Serbia
(according to sources at the MFA)
Arbnor Spahiu
– Arrested in June for "aggravated murder" in Banjska
– Released on November 21
Lulzim Halili
– Arrested in July for “war crimes”
– Remains in custody
Sasha Djordjevic
– Arrested in July for “collaboration with SHISH through AKI”
– Remains in custody
Behar Preniqi
– Arrested in August as a “suspected member of the KLA”
– Remains in custody
Hazir Haziri
– Arrested in September for “war crimes”
– Released in January 2026
Avni Qenaj
– Arrested in November for “war crimes”
– The court in Belgrade ordered a month of detention
Milan Vukashinovic
– It is suspected that he was kidnapped by the Serbian gendarmerie
– Leposavic, November 1
August 14th
– XE and BE (Xhemajl and Bashkim Emini) were also stopped in Horgosh
– Suspicions of “war crimes against the civilian population”
– They were released after 5 days.
