Kosovo citizen Avdi Memçaj detained in Serbia, lawyer calls for rights protection

Avdi Memçaj, a Kosovo citizen living in Croatia and owner of several bakeries, was arrested at the Merdare border crossing on 20 May and has been held in Belgrade’s Central Prison on suspicion of inciting hatred through a social‑media post. His lawyer, Arianit Koci, said the family approached him to seek institutional protection and warned that the case was kept private out of fear of repercussions.

Koci called for all instances of detention or arrest of Kosovar citizens by Serbian authorities to be reported promptly to Kosovo’s institutions. He noted a recent increase in Serbian police controls on Kosovars, including checks of mobile phones for images of the KLA or other prohibited material. He added that other Kosovo nationals, such as Osman Selmani, have also been arrested on alleged crimes from June 1999. Koci urged the Kosovo government to take the matter seriously and provide institutional support, stating, “Ai që ka problem duhet patjetër ta bëjë publik, të më informojë mua apo edhe organet shtetërore të Kosovës, në mënyrë që ne ta kemi pasqyrën e saktë dhe t’i ndërmarrim me kohë veprimet juridike.”