Kosovo Arrests Two for Intimidating Serb Voters

The Basic Prosecutor's Office in Gnjilane/Gjilan said on Thursday that two people, who it only identified by the initials Z.D. and V.B., were detained in the town of Gnjilane/Gjilan on suspicion that they intimidated three people to vote for Srpska Lista at Sunday's parliamentary polls in Kosovo.

The suspects have been remanded in custody for 48 hours, Koha Ditore newspaper reported.

They are accused of consistently pressurising and threatening the three voters to support Srpska Lista from September 26 onwards.

One was allegedly forced into a car and then threatened over the phone, while prosecutors said there were reasons to believe that another lost his job because he supported the Independent Liberal Party, SLS, rather than Srpska Lista.

"In the wake of the ongoing pressure by Srpska Lista on members of the SLS party, it is suspected that the injured party J.K. was dismissed for political reasons by the Health House in the village of Pasjan," the prosecutor's office said in a statement.

Srpska Lista is one of four Serb parties or coalitions that are registered to participate in Kosovo's parliamentary elections, but it is the only one that has the support of the authorities in Belgrade.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has strongly urged Kosovo Serbs to vote for Srpska Lista.

"Come out [to vote] as much as possible, because we are voting for our survival in Kosovo, for our survival in our homes, we are voting for Serbian salaries in schools and hospitals, because all this will be abolished if the voice of Srpska Lista is not heard," Aleksandar Vucic said on Tuesday.

There have been other allegations in the run-up to the elections that Kosovo Serb voters have been pressurised to support Srpska...