23.05.2025. » 18:43 | ACDC

Selective Use of Force and Ethnic Bias in North Mitrovica: Civil Society Demands Urgent Action

Civil society organizations express serious concern over the incident that occurred during the end-of-year celebration of students from the High School in North Mitrovica, when a member of the Kosovo Police physically assaulted a graduating student by grabbing him by the neck.

Two key issues emerge in this case: the selective reaction of the police, which targeted only the student from the Kosovo Serb community, and the excessive use of force, which is unacceptable—especially in the context of a public celebration.

What is particularly troubling is that the deputy commander of the Kosovo Police does not view such conduct as an abuse of authority, further confirming the findings of a previously published report on the ethnization of the Kosovo Police.

We demand:

The immediate initiation of disciplinary proceedings against the officer in question for excessive use of force, as well as his suspension pending the outcome of the investigation;
Mandatory training in professional conduct, human rights, and work in multiethnic environments as a prerequisite for returning to duty;
That, in the spirit of a professional and accountable police service—as expected in a democratic society—this incident be grounds for a prompt public apology to the student's family and the community;
And, arguably most importantly, urgent discussions on the reintegration and implementation of police-related agreements, which would ensure proportional ethnic representation in the police force in North Kosovo.

We call on the Kosovo Police, as well as the relevant independent bodies and international missions, to take all necessary measures to ensure impartiality, proportionality, and professionalism in police conduct, especially in multiethnic environments such as North Mitrovica.

Signatories:

New Social Initiative (NSI)

Center for Affirmative Social Actions (CASA)

Institute for Territorial Economic Development (InTER)

NGO Aktiv

Advocacy Center For Democratic Culture (ACDC)