Prishtina, 26 July 2026
On the Memorial Day of Police Officers Fallen in the Line of Duty, the Acting Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, together with the Acting President of the Republic of Kosovo, Albulena Haxhiu, the Minister of Internal Affairs, Xhelal Sveçla, the Director General of the Kosovo Police, Gazmend Hoxha, and other institutional representatives, paid tribute at the memorial of police officers fallen in the line of duty.
“Today marks the 15th anniversary of the killing of Enver Zymberi, who was enforcing the law of the Republic, defending the territorial integrity, and guaranteeing security, peace and rights for everyone without distinction. However, the criminal hand of Serbia’s structures fatally shot him, and ever since then we have remembered Enver Zymberi as a Hero of Kosovo, as a hero of our statehood and our independence, who was enforcing the law, and through his sacrifice inspired many, many Kosovo police officers, those who were already serving and those who would later join the force,” said Acting Prime Minister Kurti.
He further added that the Republic of Kosovo is safer than ever before also because the Kosovo Police is stronger than ever before.
The Prime Minister said that the Kosovo Police suffered a severe blow on 5 November 2022, when around 550 police officers from the Serb community collectively withdrew north of the Iber River on the orders of Belgrade, but further stressed that “their objective failed because the multiethnicity as the composition of our police has not been undermined, nor have state sovereignty, territorial integrity and institutional stability been compromised, as they had intended.”
“In recent years, through several rounds of new recruitment, around 200 police officers from the Serb community have joined our police, and as part of this overall force of 10,000 members, they contribute to ensuring that the rule of law prevails in Kosovo, that there is peace and tranquillity, and that there are rights and security for all citizens equally, including all communities,” said Acting Prime Minister Kurti.
Full statement of Acting Prime Minister Kurti:
Together with the Acting President of the Republic of Kosovo, Mrs. Albulena Haxhiu, we began the day by paying tribute at the grave of Adem Demaçi, the symbol of resistance, our Mandela and the European Mandela, who spent 28 years in the prisons of the former Yugoslavia and Serbia, as today marks the 8th anniversary of his passing.
From there, we came here to the memorial of police officers fallen in the line of duty, to honour them together with the Minister of Internal Affairs, Xhelal Sveçla, the Director General of the Kosovo Police, Gazmend Hoxha, and other colleagues from the Executive of the Republic and the state police.
Today marks the 15th anniversary of the killing of Enver Zymberi, who was enforcing the law of the Republic, defending the territorial integrity, and guaranteeing security, peace and rights for everyone without distinction. However, the criminal hand of Serbia’s structures fatally shot him, and ever since then we have remembered Enver Zymberi as a Hero of Kosovo, as a hero of our statehood and our independence, who was enforcing the law, and through his sacrifice inspired many, many Kosovo police officers, those who were already serving and those who would later join the force.
In addition to the killings of Enver Zymberi and Afrim Bunjaku, the Kosovo Police suffered a severe blow on 5 November 2022, when around 550 police officers from the Serb community collectively withdrew north of the Iber River on the orders of Belgrade, but further stressed that “their objective failed because the multiethnicity as the composition of our police has not been undermined, nor have state sovereignty, territorial integrity and institutional stability been compromised, as they had intended.
The Republic of Kosovo is safer than ever before also because the Kosovo Police is stronger than ever before.
In recent years, through several rounds of new recruitment, around 200 police officers from the Serb community have joined our police, and as part of this overall force of 10,000 members, they contribute to ensuring that the rule of law prevails in Kosovo, that there is peace and tranquillity, and that there are rights and security for all citizens equally, including all communities.
Over these 25 years, a total of 25 police officers have fallen in the line of duty, and today we remember each and every one of them with longing, sorrow and grief. At the same time, we are proud of the police officers our state has and of the exemplary model of selflessness they have set, not only for all police officers, but I would also say for all state officials and the citizens of Kosovo.
Glory to all police officers fallen in the line of duty!
