Today, Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) youth activists were arrested as they placed a coffin in front of government offices.
According to the activists, this constituted a ‘symbolic action’ against the removal of Serbian tariffs, meant to represent the burial of the Kurti government’s promises. Signs bearing the words “Reciprocity”, “principles”, “promises”, and “the 100% tariff” had been taped to the coffin.
The AAK, headed by former Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj, denounced the arrest as unlawful, unconstitutional, and infringing upon citizens’ right to peaceful protest. The party’s Facebook post claimed activists did not deserve to be arrested for reminding Prime Minister Albin Kurti of “his flagrant violation of principles he once espoused.”
The Haradinaj government imposed a 100 percent tax on Serbian and Bosnian goods in 2018. The move was seen as a response to Serbia’s blocking policies, and after imposing the tax, President Aleksandar Vucic suspended talks on normalizing Kosovo-Serbia relations.
Newly elected Prime Minister Albin Kurti has announced that he would begin the gradual abolition of the tariff on March 15th.
