Leaders condemn insulting posters against GazetaExpress journalist (RTK1, 23:00hrs) 

Leaders of Kosovo institutions reacted after placement of posters by Devolli Company which insult GazetaExpress journalist Berat Buzhala.

The President, Prime Minister and Assembly Speaker consider that is unacceptable to lynch media and insult journalists because of their different views and opinions expressed.

In the meantime, the Association of Kosovo Journalists called on this company to remove posters at the earliest time possible, and seek apology to Berat Buzhala.

Dissolution of northern municipal assemblies would end Brussels Agreement

(RTK2)

After announcements of Kosovo Government officials that they will introduce interim measures to municipalities due to missing finances for education and healthcare workers from budgets of northern municipalities, the Leposavic/Leposaviq Mayor Dragan Jablanovic said that one such move of Prishtinë/Pristina would bring Brussels Agreement to a failure.

Jablanovic says that potential dissolution of municipal assemblies in the north does not bring any good to anyone.

He said that dissolution of northern municipal assemblies would be the worst agreement. According to Jablanovic, this would also be the end of Brussels Agreement.

He warned that in case municipal assemblies are dissolved than new elections according to Kosovo laws would not ever happen again in Kosovo north. 

New member of Judicial Council likely to be dismissed

(Most monitored broadcasters, Klan Kosova) 

Enver Peci and Zef Prendrecaj might very soon be invited to report to Assembly committee on legislation. The MPs consider that they have been deceived by the Council, which did not inform that the judge Armend Berisha is being investigated. The latter was elected as a member of Kosovo Judicial Council last week; however, he is likely to be dismissed soon.

“The moment that the Committee receives information from the Office of Disciplinary Prosecutor and the Office of the Prosecutor confirms that the he is being investigated for disciplinary violations, than I consider it necessary for the legislation committee to request his dismissal,” stated Assembly committee chairperson Albulena Haxhiu.

Furthermore, she doubts that there are also other judges that are being investigated.

The LDK MP Armend Zemaj considers that judges and prosecutors that are under investigation must be immediately dismissed.

The decision for inviting these two justice officials to report to the Committee might be taken in the following meeting, as there was no quorum about this issue on Monday’s meeting.

UN demands additional clarifications for petition on Kosovo raped women

(TV21) 

It took her 16 years to take the courage and speak about the rape that she was subjected to during the war by Serbian paramilitary forces. She hid this horrible experience and continues to hide it even today from her family fearing that they might turn their back to her. She did not accept to be identified in the “Justice for raped women” initiative either, believing that this identification would harm her.

In an interview with TV21, this anonymous woman explained how she and around thirty other women were raped in 1999 for three consecutive days.

This anonymous 47-year old woman said that it was Feride Rushiti from Kosovo Rehabilitation Centre for Torture Victims (KRCT) that saved her and other raped women from despair.

At the KRCT emphasize the deficiencies of “Justice for raped women during the war” petition, which they did not support in its integrity.

“The Group or the Board that initiated this petition should have probably had a rather appropriate analysis prior to starting this initiative,” Feride Rushiti of KRCT said.

However, the Kosovo minister without portfolio and the initiator of the petition for raped women during the war, Edita Tahiri considers this petition as extremely successful, although the United Nations has returned it back and it is demanding additional clarifications on why Kosovo institutions do not deal with this issue. Tahiri said that they are preparing clarifications requested by this Organization.

According to KRCT data, only over the last two years the number of raped women that have broken the taboos of silence in order to be treated in this Centre has increased by 25 per cent, from 100 women that are currently being treated in it.

Jahjaga: Issue of the missing persons is the most serious post-war wound

(TV21)

The President of Kosovo Atifete Jahjaga received on Monday the delegation of the Governmental Commission for Missing Persons, to get to know the work and the challenges of this Commission.

Commission’s Chairperson, Prenk Gjetaj, informed President Jahjaga about the work of the Commission and the challenges it is facing with to find 1,652 persons that are still missing. He also highlighted the difficulties with which they are facing is lack of cooperation by the institutions of the Republic of Serbia.

President Jahjaga stressed that the issue of the missing is the most serious post-war wound in Kosovo which requires greater commitment of all parties to be concluded as soon as possible. She stressed that she continues to address the issue of the missing in every international level meeting.

In the meantime, the Association of Families of the Missing Persons is criticizing the proposal of Gjakovë/Djakovica Mayor to award the human rights activist, Natasa Kandic, as the honorary citizen of Gjakovë/Djakovica municipality.

This Association called on Gjakovë/Djakovica municipality to take out such a proposal once and for all from its agenda, underlining that no one should ever think of honouring any Serbian citizen until Serbia does not seek apology, regret and accept the new reality in Kosovo.

Two justice strikes start on Tuesday

(RTK1)

Two big strikes in the justice sector will start on Tuesday in Kosovo. All the judges of Basic Courts in the six main regions of Kosovo will enter strike.

They are demanding increase of their salaries, or to receive an additional payment, for which they agreed with the previous Government.

Civil staff of courts and prosecutions located in Prishtinë/Pristina area, namely in the Palace of Justice, will also start the other strike.

Nine candidates applied for a judge at Constitutional Court

(TV21, Klan Kosova) 

Kosovo Assembly administration reported that the deadline of the vacancy for selection of a judge of the Constitutional Court has ended. Bekim Sejdiu, Arif Riza, Emrush Kastrati, Ramadan Gashi, Rafet Haxhaj, Hajrije Shala, Hava Ismajli, Valdete Daka and Mazllum Baraliu have applied in the regular deadline of 20 days.

According to the Assembly’s press announcement, the procedure for selection of this judge will continue in line with the Law on Kosovo Constitutional Court. 

Police interrogates Strpce/Shtërpce mayor

(RTK2)

Kosovo Police Spokesperson in Prishtinë/Pristina Daut Hoxha told RTK2 that upon the invitation of Prosecutor, the Strpce/Shtërpce mayor Bratislav Nikolic gave a statement in relation to charges raised against him.

According to the police reports, Nikolic has left police station in Rushevc.  Nikolic’s Office stated that he was not escorted, but he only responded to Court’s invitation.