Police in Kosovo have arrested a woman after she praised Iranian General Qasem Soleimani, who was killed in a US airstrike last week, and stated that vengeance for the killing is an obligation.
Ikballe Huduti-Berisha was arrested yesterday after she referred to Soleimani as a “martyr” and “great man”, and stated that “vengeance [for his killing] is an obligation”. Her arrest warrant was issued by the prosecution but it is not clear what exactly she has been charged with or on what grounds she is being held.
Police searched her house today and seized “electronic devices and other relevant evidence”.
President of Kosovo Hashim Thaçi and outgoing Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj have both publicly expressed their support for the assassination of the commander of Iran’s elite Quds Force.
Thaçi expressed his strong support for the US strikes, adding that Iran’s activities have caused “terror, instability and global concern”.
Haradinaj wrote on Facebook that the killing of Soleimani was “self-defence” in order to protect “freedom and democracy”.
The action resulted in retaliatory strikes from Iran on US bases in Iraq.
Then today, a Ukrainian plane carrying 176 people crashed in Iran but it is not yet known if the incident is related to ongoing tensions.
Donald Trump threatened to target Iranian cultural sites but he later backtracking on his comments.
In October 2019, the Albanian State Police and Anti-Terrorism Directorate claimed to have uncovered a terrorist network “directed by the Iranian regime”. The government claimed that they foiled a planned attack on the MEK compound in Manze where as many as 2000 “Iranian opposition movement” members reside.
They stated that this network involved four Iranian citizens linked to the Quds Forces yet they did not make any arrests and were not able to provide any further information about their identities.
In June 2019, an Exit journalist was given access to the MEK compound in Albania from where she reported on calls for immediate action against “the regime of terror” and “the murderers in Tehran”.
