Serbia's opposition Free Citizens Movement (PSG) has called on police and prosecutors to immediately identify those responsible for producing and displaying anti-Albanian posters in the central Serbian city of Kruševac, warning that the campaign could fuel ethnic hatred and violence.
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The opposition described it as particularly alarming that one of the posters was placed directly outside a bakery owned by an Albanian, saying the act exposed a specific family and business to intimidation, discrimination, and the risk of potential violence.
PSG stressed that criminal responsibility belongs to individuals—not entire ethnic communities—and rejected any attempt to justify collective retaliation against Albanians living and working in Serbia. The party urged authorities to investigate whether the incident constitutes incitement to ethnic hatred and intolerance under Serbian law.
The case comes amid heightened tensions following this year's Vidovdan commemorations in Kosovo. On June 28, the Kosovo Police arrested 37 people during events at Gazimestan, with 36 facing legal proceedings, most of them citizens of Serbia or neighboring countries.
Several of those detained received three-year entry bans to Kosovo and financial penalties after allegedly chanting "Kosovo is Serbia" while displaying the three-finger nationalist salute.
Claims later emerged alleging that some detainees were subjected to psychological and physical mistreatment while in police custody. However, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported that it was unable to independently verify those allegations. Meanwhile, the Kosovo Police Inspectorate said it would examine the claims on its own initiative despite not having received any formal complaints.
The appearance of the anti-Albanian posters has added another layer of tension to already strained relations, prompting renewed calls from opposition figures in Serbia for authorities to act swiftly against rhetoric and actions that could inflame ethnic divisions.