Albanian Language Media:

• Kurti at closing of Ambassadors’ Conference: Security is Kosovo’s priority (media)
• Deadline ends, CEC meets to certify nine political entities (RTK)
• Serbian Interior Ministry arrests two suspects for “War Crimes” in Rahovec (Klan)
• Kosovo Customs details eligibility rules on removal of tariffs for U.S. Goods (media)
• Bajrami: Kosovo has right to monitor proceedings in The Hague; it is not interference (Paparaci)
• Lutfiu: 200 addresses in the Valley deactivated this year (media)
• War crimes suspect Ramadan Morina appears before Pristina Basic Court (media)
• RTK without salaries: Bajrami calls for immediate actions by Special Prosecution (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• SL demands the Quint to protect Judge Laban, and ask the authorities to end his persecution (Kosovo Online)
• Two people arrested at Horgos for the war crime in Orahovac in 1999 (Kosovo Online)
• Incident involving police in North Mitrovica-arrests, pepper spray and fines for breach of the public peace and order (KoSSev)
• Vucic holds impromptu rally in Belgrade (N1)
• Protests spread across Serbia after ruling party supporters attack demonstrators (N1)

Opinion:

• Marinkovic on the formation of the Albanian Alliance: The motive of supremacy and the change in the ethnic structure of the municipality of Gracanica (KiM radio)

Albanian Language Media

Kurti at closing of Ambassadors’ Conference: Security is Kosovo’s priority (media)

Kosovo’s acting Prime Minister, Albin Kurti, attended a reception last night organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora to mark the conclusion of the 8th edition of the Ambassadors’ Conference.

The Ambassadors’ Conference, which again this year brought to Pristina Kosovo’s diplomatic representatives accredited around the world, was held over three days with sessions dedicated to strategic planning of foreign policy and strengthening Kosovo’s role on the international stage.

According to the government, the conference featured panel discussions with institutional leaders and various debates covering topics such as: “security and defense as the country’s geostrategic priority, unconventional security threats and risks, international organizations and security policies, public diplomacy, the country’s image and diaspora engagement, economic diplomacy, as well as the issue of Albanians in the Presheva Valley.”

Deadline ends, CEC meets to certify nine political entities (RTK)

The deadline for the political entities to apply and submit their list of candidates for the Local Elections for Mayors and Municipal Assemblies ended at midnight on Wednesday. CEC Spokesperson Valmir Elezi told the national broadcaster that during the day, the list of all political entities that applied for certification will be published. According to him, on Thursday the CEC will continue with next meeting to certify the second group of political entities that will take part in the October 12 elections and their candidate lists.

The CEC meeting is scheduled for 14:00 (Thursday, August 14) and the agenda includes the certification of 9 political entities, 4 citizens’ initiatives and 5 independent candidates. The total number of candidates representing these political entities is 66, of whom 4 are running for Mayor and 62 for seats in Municipal Assemblies.

Serbian Interior Ministry arrests two suspects for “War Crimes” in Rahovec (Klan)

At the Horgos border crossing between Hungary and Serbia, Serbian police arrested two men: H.E., 49, and B.E., 52, both suspected to be citizens of Kosovo, on suspicion of committing “a war crime against the civilian population” together with several members of the KLA on August 9, 1999.

According to the Serbian Ministry of Internal Affairs, the suspects are accused of abducting a Serbian civilian in Rahovec, who has been missing since that time. “Members of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Criminal Police Directorate, and the War Crimes Investigation Service, at the Horgos Border Crossing on entry into Serbia, arrested H.E. (1976) and B.E. (1973) on reasonable suspicion of having committed the criminal offense of war crimes against the civilian population,” the ministry’s statement read.

“It is suspected that on August 9, 1999, in Rahovec, in cooperation with several members of the so-called ‘KLA,’ they abducted a Serbian civilian, J.M., using physical force, firearms, and serious threats to life and limb, and took him in an unknown direction. Since then, J.M. has been missing and is still listed as a missing person,” the statement continued.

The suspects have been ordered to remain in custody for up to 48 hours, with the approval of the Public Prosecutor from the Office of the War Crimes Prosecutor. They will then be brought before the competent prosecutor with a criminal complaint.

Kosovo Customs details eligibility rules on removal of tariffs for U.S. Goods (media)

After removing the 10% tariff on goods originating from the United States, effective August 1, 2025, Kosovo Customs gave more clarification on the policy. To qualify for zero customs duty, imports must meet the preferential origin criteria, be accompanied by a valid U.S.-issued certificate of origin or an invoice declaration, and comply with the laws of both the U.S. and Kosovo. Goods meeting these criteria but not granted the exemption at import will be eligible for reimbursement of customs duty. The measure aims to boost trade, benefit businesses and consumers, and strengthen economic ties with the U.S.

Bajrami: Kosovo has right to monitor proceedings in The Hague; it is not interference (Paparaci)

Professor Arsim Bajrami stated that Kosovo has the right to monitor the Special Court in The Hague without interfering in its independence. He urged the President to involve international organizations to ensure transparency, fairness, and protection of human rights, noting that the court is part of Kosovo’s justice system and should uphold high legal standards.

Lutfiu: 200 addresses in the Valley deactivated this year (media)

Nevzad Lutfiu, former head of the Albanian National Council, accused Serbia of racism and ethnic cleansing in the Presevo Valley. He reported that between January and July 2025, 174 addresses in Presevo and 26 in Bujanovac were deactivated, totaling 200 addresses in these majority-Albanian municipalities. Lutfiu described the situation as alarming and called on Albanian political actors to coordinate and take action.

War crimes suspect Ramadan Morina appears before Pristina Basic Court (media)

Ramadan Morina, suspected of participating in the 1999 massacre of 34 Albanian civilians in Burim, Malisheva, appeared before Pristina Basic Court for a pre-trial detention decision. He had been living in Serbia as a taxi driver. The Special Prosecution confirmed that material evidence, including eyewitness and survivor testimonies, has been collected.The Basic Court in Prishtina has ordered one month of pre-trial detention for Ramadan Morina, who is accused of participating in the Burim massacre in Malisheve.

RTK without salaries: Bajrami calls for immediate actions by Special Prosecution (media)

Hykmete Bajrami, MP of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), has reacted to the non-payment of salaries for employees of Radio Television of Kosovo (RTK), urging the Special Prosecution to act immediately and ‘free the institution from usurpers.”

In a Facebook post, Bajrami highlighted that two municipalities, Prishina and Gjilan, have never received their respective budgets from the Kosovo Assembly. “Millions of euros were allocated by Albin Kurti’s illegitimate government (considered illegitimate since April 15, when they were sworn in as MPs) for questionable projects not specified in the Budget Law. Yet, he chose to penalize RTK employees, who suffer despite the board and management being seized, because not all journalists there can be controlled,” Bajrami wrote.

Serbian Language Media 

SL demands the Quint to protect Judge Laban, and ask the authorities to end his persecution (Kosovo Online)

The Serbian List (SL) sent a letter to the Quint embassies in Pristina regarding the attacks on Constitutional Court judge Radomir Laban, in which they demanded that they publicly protect him, and them to ask the representatives of the Kosovo authorities to stop further political persecution of him, Kosovo Online learns.

According to Kosovo Online, the letter states that SL, convinced of the complete innocence of the Serbian judge of the Constitutional Court, Radomir Laban, demands from the Quint embassies to publicly protect him and to publicly ask President Vjosa Osmani, Prime Minister in technical mandate Albin Kurti, Minister of Justice in technical mandate Albulena Haxhiu and all Albanian political parties to stop his further political persecution, which, as SL notes, is entirely based on discrimination of a Serbian judge in the Constitutional Court of Kosovo.

The SL indicates that Laban was obviously attacked because he is the easiest target, because he is a member of the Serbian community, and at this very moment - because the current institutional crisis would irreversibly deepen if the Constitutional Court without Judge Radomir Laban would be left without a quorum, which would completely block the further work of that institution, which would lead to a complete blockage of the formation of the assembly in accordance with the electoral will of the citizens.

According to the Serbian List, the claims that there is any fault of Judge Laban in causing the institutional crisis, because the Assembly of Kosovo has not yet been formed, are absurd.

They also explain that the Constitutional Court has seven judges who make all their decisions by majority vote, which means that Judge Laban's vote for or against a court decision has absolutely no influence on the decision of the majority of judges made up of Albanian judges, while reminding that only a month ago the Constitutional Court made a decision regarding the constitutional crisis that all high officials welcomed, and even then Judge Laban was part of the court.

That's why they point out that the only way Laban could cause a constitutional crisis would be to resign and leave the court without a quorum.

They add that this is supported by the fact that Judge Laban has been a judge of the Constitutional Court since 2018 and that during his mandate the Constitutional Court in the meantime made almost 2,000 decisions in which he participated as a judge, and they state that his bias, i.e. impartiality, is questioned only when the decisions do not suit the ruling Albanian political elite.

They also remind that, considering that since his appointment he was under constant political pressure from all Albanian political parties, and to get rid of it, Judge Laban wanted to leave the court in 2024 by applying for the position of notary in Gracanica.

However, even though he met all legal requirements, the right to notary license was illegally denied by the Minister of Justice, Albulena Haxhiu, noted the SL. 

They also wonder, if this is not open discrimination on a national basis - what information of state importance could Judge Radomir Laban have obtained in his position as a notary in Gracanica.

Thus, they conclude in the SL, due to obvious discrimination on a national basis, a completely absurd situation has arisen - that according to the order of Kosovo, it is more dangerous for Laban to be a licensed notary in Gracanica, whom the Minister of Justice can independently dismiss for the smallest mistake committed in his work, than to continue working as a judge of the Constitutional Court, whose dismissal is now demanded by the same Acting Minister of Justice.

Finally, they also call on Judge Radomir Laban, if the embassies of the Quint countries are not able to go public and publicly protect the only Serbian judge in the Constitutional Court, and given that there is no other protection mechanism for the Serbian community - to no longer suffer institutional violence and to submit his irrevocable resignation from the position of judge of the Constitutional Court, because it is senseless that he, as a member of the Serbian community, advocates for the respect of the Constitutional order more than Vjosa Osmani, Albin Kurti, Albulena Haxhiu and other representatives of Albanian political parties.

His resignation would leave the Constitutional Court without a quorum and the burden of resolving the political crisis would pass from the Constitutional Court to the political representatives of the Albanian political parties.

Two people arrested at Horgos for the war crime in Orahovac in 1999 (Kosovo Online)

At the Horgos border crossing, at the entrance to Serbia, the police arrested two persons, H.E. (49) and B.E. (52) due to the suspicion that on August 9, 1999, together with several members of the former KLA, they committed a war crime against the civilian population, reported Kosovo Online. 

"Members of the MIA, the Criminal Police Directorate, the Service for the Detection of War Crimes, at the Horgos Border Crossing at the entrance to Serbia, arrested H. E. (1976) and B. E. (1973) due to the existence of grounds for suspicion that they had committed a war crime against the civilian population. It is suspected that they, on August 9, 1999, in Orahovac, were co-perpetrators with several members of the so-called 'KLA', using physical force, firearms and serious threats to the life and body of a Serbian civilian, J.M., and took him in an unknown direction. Since then, no trace of him has been found. J.M. is still listed as a missing person," according to the statement of the Ministry of Interior of Serbia.

With the approval of the public prosecutor of the Public Prosecutor's Office for War Crimes, the suspects were detained for up to 48 hours.

After that, they will be brought to the competent prosecutor's office with a criminal complaint.

Incident involving police in North Mitrovica-arrests, pepper spray and fines for breach of the public peace and order (KoSSev)

KoSSev portal reported that a total of eight people were briefly detained last Friday in North Mitrovica, after an incident with police officers. The public became aware of this case only last night, after videos of the incident began to circulate on social media, with criticism of the officers’ actions. The police, on the other hand, claim that this group allegedly insulted and verbally attacked police officers, and that all of them were fined for the breach of public order and peace.

KoSSev noted that this incident happened on August 8, just after midnight, at the roundabout in the very centre of North Mitrovica, the police confirmed. The released video shows officers trying to place a handcuffed young man into a police vehicle, which was opposed by other people, some of whom have their hands raised. The police officers pushed away a couple of young men who approached them at that moment, from where they heard “don’t push us”, “shoot”, “shoot, you c*nt”.

In the meantime, there was another push, after which, as it is assumed, one officer even cocked his gun, while at the same time tear gas was used in the direction of the young man.

Criticism of the police’s actions flooded the social media.

Soon after this video was published, last night, Aleksandar Arsenijevic, president of Serbian Democracy published on social media the following:

“A few days ago, in North Mitrovica, the police brutally treated a group of minors — arresting them, spraying them with tear gas and even pointing a gun at them. The policeman who brandished a weapon and pointed it at the children with threats is already known for his extreme behaviour and violent character. Despite the terror, the kids remained standing strait, with pride and courage. This is a picture of true resistance. We demand an immediate and unconditional end to the repression of the police against Serbian youth, as well as the responsibility of all those who today threatened the lives of the young men who were born in 2003/2005. I’m not physically there, but my phone cam model and defiance applies”.

Police: They insulted the police officers - verbal attack

However, Kosovo Police for the North region claim that it all started after one of the young men allegedly insulted the police officers, that is, made an alleged “verbal attack”.

“One person was taken into custody for a verbal attack, and then his group, some of whom were under the influence of alcohol, interfered and insulted the police officers, that is, attacked them verbally” they stated.

All young men - a total of eight, were then taken to the police station, where they were fined for breaching public order and peace.

According to the police, none of them has so far filed a complaint against the police.

Complaints can also be submitted to the Police Inspectorate of Kosovo, and the regional KP for the North stated that they have no information on whether this has been done.

When asked about the use of pepper spray on young men, the police stated that the use of this tool is allowed, if someone refuses to obey the police officer’s orders.

“It is interpreted as the least use of force,” they said.

There was no answer to the question about the fact that a police officer cocked his gun and why.

Vucic holds impromptu rally in Belgrade (N1)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic addressed a crowd in Kneza Milosa Street in downtown Belgrade on Wednesday evening, claiming that the offices of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) in Novi Sad were “brutally attacked,” reported N1.

“Bad news is coming from Novi Sad tonight. They viciously attacked the SNS offices. Many citizens are injured,” Vucic said.

He emphasized that his supporters “don’t want to destroy anything” and that he would not call for confrontations.

“There are brave people there, and I’m sure they will defend their home. We don’t want to tear anything down, and I won’t urge you to engage in fights or clashes,” he told the crowd.

Vucic claimed that “Serbia rose tonight like never before,” asserting that while the opposition gathered 4,000 people across the country, his supporters only showed up so as to demonstrate their desire to live in a “normal country.” He added that he is “endlessly grateful” to them for that.

He also announced major changes within the state apparatus. “Big changes are coming in the government system. We need to transform ourselves,” Vucic said.

The Serbian president reiterated accusations against TV stations N1 and Nova.

“We don’t want to destroy anything, and I won’t call for clashes, instead I want to say that we should have respect toward those who are misguided, who listen to the worst smear campaigns of N1 and Nova, and that we should understand their different views of the world and the fact that they don’t like us,” Vucic said.

Later, Vucic walked to the Serbian Parliament building, where hundreds of people were gathered around white tents that have blocked the street for months. Police vans were parked behind and beside the parliament.

Posting on Instagram, Vucic wrote, “At 9:45 pm., here I am in front of the Parliament, on the edge of Caciland, because they said they’d attack. I came to stand with the people.”

Caciland is the informal name given to a tent encampment outside the Serbian Parliament building and in Pioneers’ Park in central Belgrade. It was set up in March, in opposition to the student protests and university blockades across Serbia, by supporters of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic.

Protests spread across Serbia after ruling party supporters attack demonstrators (N1)

On Wednesday evening, citizens and students gathered in cities across Serbia, responding to calls from student protesters and local community assemblies to take to the streets following attacks by supporters of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) on peaceful demonstrators in Vrbas and Backa Palanka.

In a post on their Instagram account Students in Blockade, student protesters on Wednesday wrote “20h. Wake Up,” and shared a detailed list of gathering times and locations in Belgrade and other cities nationwide.

At the Tuesday protest in Vrbas, tensions escalated after SNS supporters and members attacked citizens and students with fireworks, stones, bottles, and even a wrench. One Vrbas resident suffered leg injuries, which he said were caused by fireworks launched at the crowd by SNS supporters. An N1 assistant cameraman was also struck by two stones—one to the stomach and one to the shoulder—during the same protest.

Tensions flared on Tuesday in Belgrade, Novi Sad, Nis, and Kragujevac as well. Police Director Dragan Vasiljevic said officers intervened that evening to prevent larger clashes, resulting in injuries to both police and civilians, with several people detained. “We weren’t protecting one group over another—we were maintaining public order and preventing citizens from clashing,” he said.

On Wednesday evening, protests spread to Kragujevac, Cacak, Nis, Novi Sad, Pirot, Leskovac, Vranje, Smederevo, Kraljevo, Gornji Milanovac, Pancevo, Uzice, Sombor, Kikinda, and other cities.

Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/p3ak4bmy

Opinion

Marinkovic on the formation of the Albanian Alliance: The motive of supremacy and the change in the ethnic structure of the municipality of Gracanica (KiM radio)

Miodrag Marinkovic from the Center for Affirmative Social Actions - CASA perceives the motive for four parties which are in fierce conflict at the central level and at the local level to form a joint list in the electoral race in Gracanica municipality as an attempt to dominate the Serbs, an ethnic conflict but also a change in the ethnic structure, reported KiM radio. 

Vetevendosje Movement, the Democratic Party of Kosovo, the Democratic League of Kosovo and the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo formed a joint list - the Albanian Alliance - with which they will participate in the local elections on October 12. This alliance also has a candidate for the mayor of the majority-Serb municipality, Leutrim Ajeti, the former deputy of Ljiljana Subaric.

Marinkovic told KiM Radio that there are several indicative elements in this situation and that they are worrisome.

“The first is the fact that Albanian political parties unite on an ethnic basis, overcoming programmatic differences. This shows that the central motive of their actions is ethnic conflict and supremacy over the Serbs. In a society which, according to the constitutional arrangement, tends to be civil, this kind of policy is worrisome. Its consequence will be further segregation of society along ethnic lines, but also probably the consolidation of the political unity of Kosovo Serbs around the Serbian List as a response to this, which will further collapse the already serious lack of political pluralism”.

Another problem, according to Marinkovic, is the pressure to change the ethnic structure of municipalities, which is one of the hidden agendas of the government of Albin Kurti.

“This pressure is also visible in the north of Kosovo, where such population policies have much less chance of changing the structure of government. In the south, especially in Gracanica, it is a long-term process that takes place covertly behind the economic and urban expansion of Pristina, and the consequence of which is a critical change in the ethnic composition of the municipality. Considering migration trends, that process is inevitable, maybe not in this election cycle, but almost certainly in one of the next”.

KiM Radio recalled that “data from the last population census (2024) show that there are slightly more Albanians than Serbs living in the territory of the municipality of Gracanica. What is also a fact is that part of the Serbs, at the invitation of the Serbian List, boycotted the census, while many residents of this municipality who wanted to be registered could not do so because the enumerators did not even come to them”.

However, Marinkovic opined that there are two ways to counter this. “The first is the establishment of legal mechanisms for the protection of the ethnic structure in municipalities where Kosovo Serbs form the majority. The framework for such changes can only be the process of normalization of relations, and the basic condition for its implementation is a change of government in Pristina” he said.

He added that another way is “for Belgrade to create affirmative demographic policies that will enable young people to stay, create jobs and provide subsidies for newborn children”.

According to him, the key condition for that is a change of government in Belgrade, since, as he noted, the current one has shown that its priorities are different, and its nature is corrupt.

Marinkovic pointed out that a lot will depend on who will decide about the Serbs in Kosovo in the coming period. “Perhaps the only good news in all of this is that both regimes, both in Belgrade and Pristina, are on the decline,” he concluded.