The Special Prosecution Office of the Republic of Kosovo has filed an indictment against Igor Popović, deputy director of Serbia’s Office for Kosovo, after he delivered a speech last month deemed inflammatory and ethnically divisive.
Popović, who was arrested by Kosovo Police in July, is accused of inciting interethnic hatred and intolerance during a public appearance in the village of Hoçë e Madhe (Velika Hoča), in the municipality of Rahovec (Orahovac), a Serb-majority enclave in western Kosovo.
According to the indictment, on July 18, 2025, at approximately 12:00 p.m., Popović made public remarks in which he referred to the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) as a terrorist organization and questioned the portrayal of Serbs as occupiers in the region.
“The Serbs have suffered here in the Rahovec area… and will not allow anyone to call them occupiers,” Popović said, adding that “Hoçë e Madhe and Rahovec must remain Serbian.”
The Special Prosecution stated that Popović’s comments constituted hate speech and were designed to undermine ethnic coexistence in Kosovo. The indictment notes that his rhetoric promoted distrust and intolerance among the country’s diverse communities.
Popović has pleaded guilty to the charges. The prosecution has submitted a plea agreement to the court, which now awaits judicial confirmation.
The case comes amid ongoing tensions between Kosovo and Serbia, with rhetoric and incidents on both sides drawing increased scrutiny from international observers. Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008, a move Belgrade still does not recognize.