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The Kosovo Police have arrested two individuals suspected of war crimes in Kosovo during the years 1998-1999, in two separate operations over the past two days.
The first suspect, identified by the initials Zh.Z., was arrested on Saturday at noon in the village of Lubozhadë in Istog, as announced by the Kosovo Police in a media statement on August 5th.
He is suspected of the criminal offense of "war crimes against the civilian population" committed during the year 1998-1999 in the Municipality of Istog, according to the report.
"During the war in Kosovo in 1998-1999, he held the position of Commander of the Sub-Police Station in the village of Rakosh in the Municipality of Istog. He has been brought to the offices of the Specialized Prosecution Office, where he is expected to be interviewed in the presence of his defense lawyer," the police statement said.
The arrest of the 69-year-old suspect on Saturday comes just a day after police investigators from the War Crimes Investigation Directorate arrested another suspect on Friday at the border point in Merdare.
"These investigations have been focused on identifying the perpetrators of crimes committed during the period 1998-1999 in the region of the Municipality of Istog. As a result of ongoing investigative efforts, evidence and proof regarding these criminal acts and their perpetrators have been collected," the police statement on Friday read.
The police stated that the investigative team had received and processed multiple operational information to identify, locate, and trace the movements of the suspects, both within and outside the territory of Kosovo, before arresting the suspect identified as M.P. at the border point with Serbia.
"Through the coordination of activities, it was possible to identify a suspect for war crimes, who during the war in 1998-1999 was the chief of the militia in Istog. The suspect M.P.… has been placed in detention for up to 48 hours, by order of the prosecutor."
The Director of the Office for Kosovo in the Government of Serbia, Petar Petković, has reacted to the arrest of M.P., opposing the decision of the Kosovar authorities.
He revealed the identity of the first arrested individual, naming him as Momir Pantić, and stated that "yesterday, he was supposed to collect documents related to his property in Istog, but instead of that, he was arrested and sent to Pristina."
It is believed that Pantić relocated from Istog after the war and has been living in Mladenovac, Serbia.