Dear journalists,

First and foremost, let me emphasize that we are following all developments and we are committed to follow carefully any provocation and destabilizing action from Serbia. The direct warnings made days ago by President Aleksandar Vucic during his visit to the Cobra military unit were followed by order for immediate action on the ground. Based on the information we have, the detention was made on "orders from above", that is, by direct order from Vucic, and this proves that Serbia is a dictatorial state. Its chauvinistic and dictatorial policies pose a security risk in the region and beyond.

I want to emphasize that the events of yesterday are not just a simple matter of freedom of movement and violation of agreements, because those take place continuously. Rather, yesterday's events are a violation of human rights and pose a great threat to security and stability in the region. Detention based on ethnic or national origin of citizens who were legally transiting is extremely disturbing. This is a dangerous precedent and cannot be tolerated. In fact, this proves even more that the Republic of Kosovo should be a member of the Council of Europe, but also of Interpol and all other security mechanisms.

According to our information, yesterday at least 1498 citizens were detained, ill-treated, and some were even arrested and interrogated regarding their past with the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA), their personal participation or of their family members in the KLA, as well as their whereabouts and activity during the years 1998-1999.

Their personal documents were taken, leaving them with no possibility to move or turn back. The citizens of Kosovo have been provoked many times physically and verbally by the Serbian police authorities. This has caused great fear and concern to everyone, but especially to children and minors who are trapped. In addition to the psychological pressure, they also faced lack of food, water, and medicines for hours.

Members of the Kosovo Police were also among the arrested. In the early morning yesterday, after crossing the border in Jarinje, the Deputy Director General of the Police from the ranks of the Serbian community, Dejan Jankovic, was detained. According to the information I received from the Police, 10 members of the police were detained; 5 were released last night and 4 today, while the Deputy Director of the Police is still detained.

Deputy Director Jankovic was sent to Raska yesterday; this is a repeated method of the Serbian authorities, especially towards members of the Kosovo Police, who are interrogated by their intelligence agency. According to the latest information, he was sent to detention for 48 hours, on the charge of disrupting the constitutional order, a charge that President Vucic mentioned in his address during the visit to the Cobra unit.

The arrest and detention of the Deputy Director and other members of the Police is the clearest evidence that Serbia has never been committed to the rights or integration of Serbs in Kosovo. Members of the Serbian community who work in our institutions have been continuously harassed by the Serbian authorities, their property has been damaged, and their family members have been threatened. Their photos and names have been distributed all over Serbia's media, and they have been publicly lynched in electronic groups.

Dear participants,

The fact that the Deputy Director General of the Kosovo Police, which is the only legitimate Police organization internationally recognized as the legal authority in Kosovo, has been detained and then arrested and transferred to Raska, should be alarming to all. It is not only a gross abuse by Serbia - and a violation of numerous agreements and practices; Vucic, by arresting and detaining Dejan Jankovic, clearly intends to send a message of fear and intimidation to Kosovo Serbs who are integrated or otherwise would be integrated into the Kosovo Police. Vucic cannot accept that his gangs and criminal groups are outside the Kosovo Police. He and his politics only think about destabilization and territory, not about the rights or the welfare of people of any ethnicity.

Dear journalists,

Yesterday, together with the Deputy Prime Minister Gërvalla, we met the ambassadors of the Quint countries, whom we informed at the meeting and afterwards about Serbia's actions. In order to provide a clear and accurate picture of what happened yesterday, including the numbers and the people who were detained and interviewed, we have provided our official numbers where citizens can contact our authorities for any notification or request. I ask you to follow the official channels to get the correct information, so as not to be influenced and fall prey to the propaganda that aims to spread fear and uncertainty, which is directed by Aleksander Vucic and his government.

I call once again from here for the immediate release of the Deputy Director of the Kosovo Police, but also of other citizens, since there is information that there are other citizens, and their return to the Republic of Kosovo.

This action of Serbia calls for punishment from the international community, in order to maintain peace and security and protect basic human rights and freedoms, in order to defend democracy. I want to assure all citizens once again that we will act with full responsibility towards the obligations we have taken to protect the life and property of all our citizens without distinction, to maintain order and law at the service of everyone, and to protect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of our country.