PRESHEVO, Jan 26 – About 3,000 ethnic Albanians rallied peacefully in the southern Serbian area of the Preshevo Valley, a predominantly ethnic Albanian town near the border with Kosovo, demanding the release of 10 imprisoned former Kosova rebels charged with committing war crimes.
The rally in Preshevo revealed the simmering ethnic tensions in an area that was the scene of an ethnic Albanian rebellion in 2000-2001.
The protesters carried signs such as “Freedom Fighters Don’t Belong In Jail,” the independent Beta news agency reported. The organizers warned that the arrests have led to tensions in the volatile region.
On Monday, Serbia’s war crimes court said it has extended the detention of the group by another two months. Court spokeswoman Ivana Ramic said the suspects must remain in custody because they face serious charges and they could influence police witnesses.
3,000 Albanians in Preshevo valley ask for release of their brethren
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