“WE WERE JUST GOING TO EAT”: Three Serbian boys detained and then released in Kosovska Mitrovica – here’s the reason!

Three underage boys of Serbian nationality were detained in the northern part of Mitrovica in Kosovo and Metohija and later released. One of them stated that they were taken in completely innocently while they were out in this part of the city to get food, reports KoSSev.

Their parents waited in front of the police station, protesting loudly because, as they shouted, the police had not informed them about their children’s detention. In the end, the Kosovo Police confirmed that detaining the three boys had been a mistake, as were some of the initial reports. The police station still held two Albanians and one Bosniak, according to KoSSev.

Shortly before 9 PM, six minors were detained, the report states.

Initial police reports, as cited by this media outlet, indicated that four Serbs and two Albanians had been arrested due to an alleged altercation.

Soon after, parents of the Serbian boys arrived outside the police station in northern Mitrovica, and the boys were released shortly thereafter, KoSSev reports.

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One of the Boys: “They Were Chasing Others and Ran Into Us”

One of the boys, with parental consent, described the evening’s events, stating that he and his two friends were detained without cause.

He also said that the police simply ran into them while searching for individuals involved in a fight.

“They detained us on suspicion that we had fought with Albanians, but we were just going to eat. They ran past us, chasing after someone else. When they couldn’t catch them, they came across us. Then they got out of their car, one of them asked me for my ID, but the other one said, ‘What are you pulling that out for?’ and they turned us toward the wall,” the boy recounted for KoSSev.

“Of course, we had nothing on us because we weren’t guilty of anything. They brought us here, and they were yelling at one of the other boys in the room. We don’t know who he was, but they were shouting at him,” the boy added.

Parents Outside the Station: “You Guarantee Security Here, Our Children Rely on You, and You Arrest Them Innocently”

Just before the boys were released, their parents staged an intense protest outside the station, shouting that the police had not informed them about their children’s detention.

“But no one even called the parents. I found out by accident… Someone explain to me how a 14-year-old can be arrested for no reason. They are terrified… Parents were not called, I don’t care… You guarantee security in this city, and our children rely on you, yet you arrest them… Why didn’t you call us? How much longer will this continue?” the parents shouted, according to KoSSev.

Police: “We Determined That They Were Not Guilty”

The Kosovo Police admitted to making a mistake that evening. After reviewing security footage, they confirmed that the three Serbian boys had done nothing wrong, KoSSev reports.

“We reviewed the footage. They are not guilty. We didn’t even take statements; they were released,” said Petrit Fejza, as reported by KoSSev.

He also provided precise information regarding the nationalities of those detained.

“There were three Serbs, and they have now been released, as well as one Bosniak and two Albanians, who are still in custody,” Fejza clarified, according to the report.