Albanian Language Media: 

• Another failed attempt to constitute the new Kosovo Assembly (media)
• Murati: Sole violators of the Constitution today were the opposition (media)
• No agreement to break the deadlock in the Kosovo Assembly (media)
• Osmani on graduation of new KSF members: Our Army grows in strength (media)
• German MP calls for dissolution of Serbia’s structures in the north (Telegrafi)
• Musliu publishes video of Radoicic’s group during protests in Serbia (Telegrafi)

Serbian Language Media: 

• Djuric: Arrests of pilgrims on Vidovdan in Kosovo contrary to fundamental rights (Tanjug, RTS, Kosovo Online)
• Serbian Democracy party alleges Vice President attacked in politically motivated assault (KoSSev, KiM radio, Radio Mitrovica sever)
• Elshani:  One person arrested for a physical attack on the SD vice-president Stefan Veljkovic (KoSSev)
• Office for KiM: KP harassed Serbs on Kurti’s orders while failing to react to Albanian provocations in Gracanica (Kosovo Online, Radio Mitrovica sever)
• SL: Pristina authorities once again shown disregard for the religious and civil rights of the Serbian people
• Kosovo police detain Serbian pilgrimage organizer near Gracanica monastery (N1, KiM radio)
• With the Albanian flag through Gracanica (KiM radio, Alternativna)
• 17 Detained During Vidovdan Commemorations in Kosovo (KoSSev, media)
• Vidovdan, the Serbian myth, and DNA (Kosovo Online)

Albanian Language Media 

Another failed attempt to constitute the new Kosovo Assembly (media)

One of the leading stories in the media on Sunday was another failed attempt to constitute the new Kosovo Assembly. Radio Free Europe noted that PDK MP Vlora Citaku accused the head of the constitutive session Avni Dehari for abusing his post by calling on parties to propose members to a secret vote committee for the new Assembly Speaker. LDK MP Hykmete Bajrami called on Dehari to return to the agenda of an open vote. Both these parties, and other smaller parties, are claiming that moving from an open vote to a secret vote is in violation of the Constitution of Kosovo. AAK leader Ramush Haradinaj said the situation in Kosovo is very grave and accused the Vetevendosje Movement of trying to make it even worse. The session on Sunday marked the 39th attempt to constitute new legislative. 

Murati: Sole violators of the Constitution today were the opposition (media)

MP from the Vetevendosje Movement, Hekuran Murati, said on Sunday that the sole violators of the Constitution were opposition MPs who refused to take part in the voting process. According to Murati, even the latest ruling of the Constitutional Court says that a secret vote is allowed, “it is in line with the Constitution and the MPs are obliged to be present and to take part in the vote”. He also said that the Constitutional Court does not say at any point in its ruling that a secret vote on the new Speaker of the Assembly is unconstitutional. 

No agreement to break the deadlock in the Kosovo Assembly (media)

Leaders of political parties in Kosovo failed to reach an agreement on Saturday after a two-hour meeting aimed at breaking the deadlock in the Assembly. The meeting was called by caretaker Prime Minister and leader of the biggest party – the Vetevendosje Movement, Albin Kurti. The parties met after the Constitutional Court said in a ruling that the new Assembly must be constituted by July 26. 

Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) leader Lumir Abdixhiku said after the meeting that Kurti has not changed his position although he called the meeting. “We attended with the good will to find a solution, although with the same fear that this meeting is more of a public farce than a substantial meeting. Unfortunately, our fears proved to be true. Insisting on previous positions makes it impossible to move from this situation,” he said.

Kurti on the other hand argued that the PDK and LDK were misreading the ruling of the Constitutional Court. He also said that he offered two compromises at the meeting. “The first compromise is the one mentioned by our candidate for Assembly Speaker, Albulena Haxhiu, who said that if she does not get at least 61 votes through a secret vote, she would withdraw from her candidacy. She did that unilaterally but I respect her decision … And the second compromise is to reach a political agreement bout Article 67 of the Constitution, and that would be a package agreement on the Assembly Speaker and Deputy Speakers, and if they don’t want a secret vote, they can delegate their representatives to the secrete vote committee, which we can reject with a vote, because the process is stuck in the middle. We have delegated Hekuran Murati there, they can delegate their representatives, and then we can reject it, so that the Speaker and Deputy Speakers can be voted in a package,” he said.

Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) leader Memli Krasniqi said Kurti’s invitation for a meeting was only acting to meet an obligation given to him by the ruling of the Constitutional Court. “Despite the fact that the situation is not the same after the verdict, Kurti remains the same and his positions are the same,” he argued.

Osmani on graduation of new KSF members: Our Army grows in strength (media)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani said in a post on X that 350 new soldiers have taken their oath to serve in the Kosovo Security Force. “From these brave women and men in uniform, one powerful voice echoes: for Kosovo. Our Army grows in strength. Our Republic moves forward with pride,” she said.

German MP calls for dissolution of Serbia’s structures in the north (Telegrafi)

Kosovo’s Ambassador to Germany, Faruk Ajeti, shared on Facebook a speech by German MP Peter Beyer who highlighted the strategic importance of the Western Balkans and the support for Kosovo. In his address, Beyer recalled the visit by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte to the region in March this year, adding that NATO’s engagement in the Balkans remains crucial for security and stability. Ajeti also said that Beyer has called for the dissolution of Serbia’s structures in the north of Kosovo which pose a serious threat to law and order and security. “The fight against criminal structures, gangs and violent groups must continue. The recent confiscation of an arsenal of weapons in the north is clear evidence of the risk that these structures pose to security and stability,” Beyer said.

Musliu publishes video of Radoicic’s group during protests in Serbia (Telegrafi)

Security expert and chairman of the board of Pristina-based Octopus Institute, Agim Musliu, published a video on Facebook saying that Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has used the group of Milan Radoicic and his associates to crack down on the students protest in Belgrade on June 26. He argued that Vucic not only allowed the activities of Radoicic’s group in Serbia but also mobilized them to attack the protesters, including the students that are calling for democratic reforms. “Vucic attacked Kosovo with Radoicic’s terrorist group and today with the same group he is attacking the students in Serbia and is maintaining the group for other attacks whenever he needs them,” he said. “It is unacceptable in the heart of Europe in 2025 to tolerate the cooperation of a government with terrorist elements and organized crime to crack down on the voice of the people and to attack other countries”.

Serbian Language Media

Djuric: Arrests of pilgrims on Vidovdan in Kosovo contrary to fundamental rights (Tanjug, RTS, Kosovo Online)

Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Djuric stated on Sunday that the arrests and harassment of pilgrims during the Vidovdan commemoration in Kosovo are contrary to fundamental rights and reflect the ongoing disregard of international obligations by Kurti's government.

“I am deeply concerned by reports of arrests and harassment of Serbian pilgrims during the Vidovdan commemoration in Kosovo and Metohija,” Djuric wrote on X, emphasizing that religious and cultural freedoms must be respected.

“The international community must not remain silent and passive,” Djuric stressed.

Serbian Democracy party alleges Vice President attacked in politically motivated assault (KoSSev, KiM radio, Radio Mitrovica sever)

The Serbian Democracy party alleged on Sunday that its vice president, Stefan Veljkovic, was physically assaulted outside his family home—shortly after an alleged attempted car attack.

In a video shared by the party, a vehicle with Kosovo license plates was seen speeding past Veljkovic before stopping. A young man, reportedly of Albanian ethnicity, exits the car and charges at Veljkovic, striking him while shouting, “You’ll see.”

The altercation was interrupted by two older men who physically restrained the attacker and prevented further escalation.

In a strongly worded statement, Serbian Democracy said it does not view the incident as an isolated case, but rather as part of a “broader pattern of intimidation, persecution, and political violence targeting representatives of the Serbian community.”

“We believe this was an ethnically and politically motivated attack, occurring just one day after several members of our party were kidnapped by the Kosovo police upon returning from Gazimestan,” the statement read.

The party further claimed that such incidents pointed to a “coordinated campaign to eliminate Serbian political dissent.” It accuses Kosovo’s institutions of “openly targeting the leadership and membership of Serbian Democracy instead of ensuring safety for all citizens,” framing the situation as a violation of fundamental human rights.

“Kosovo’s institutions have launched an open season on Serbian Democracy,” the party declares, appealing to the international community and all missions in Kosovo to intervene immediately:

“Before the silhouettes of our members are outlined in chalk on the asphalt.”

Veljkovic detained on Vidovdan

The alleged assault follows Veljkovic’s detention on Saturday ahead of a memorial service at Gazimestan. According to the party, he was apprehended by the police for wearing a T-shirt with the image of party leader Aleksandar Arsenijevic.

After being detained near the memorial site, Veljkovic reportedly attempted to return to North Mitrovica but then lost contact with his party and family—along with three other party members. They later confirmed they were being held at a police station in Vucitrn.

In a statement to KoSSev, Veljkovic said police gave no reason for the detention, denied them access to a lawyer, and barred them from contacting their families. He claimed they were questioned about their political beliefs, pressured to unlock their phones, and asked about potential links to the Banjska incident.

Elshani:  One person arrested for a physical attack on the vice-president of the SD Stefan Veljkovic (KoSSev)

One person was arrested in North Mitrovica, after a physical attack that happened earlier in the day (Sunday) in the same city, while another person was sent for a medical examination - it was confirmed for KoSSev from the Kosovo Police.

The deputy commander of the Kosovo Police for the North region, Veton Elshani, confirmed for KoSSev that the case was reported and that one person was arrested.

"We received a report that an incident had occurred. The police went to the scene and arrested one person, while the other was brought in as a witness. After questioning, the arrested person was detained at the police station and remained in custody for up to 48 hours," said Elshani, adding that Veljkovic was sent to the hospital in Mitrovica for a medical examination in order to determine possible injuries.

Office for KiM: KP harassed Serbs on Kurti’s orders while failing to react to Albanian provocations in Gracanica (Kosovo Online, Radio Mitrovica sever)

The Office for Kosovo and Metohija stated on Saturday that arrests and detentions of Serbs at Gazimestan “mark the realization of Albin Kurti’s stated intent—announced just yesterday—to arrest and terrorize Serbs on Vidovdan, as he does every year, particularly on major and significant Serbian holidays”.

“Serbs were detained for carrying Serbian flags or images of monasteries, for wearing symbols of sports clubs, or for singing patriotic songs—all in an effort by Kurti to once again fill his dungeons with Serbs and attempt to criminalize and stigmatize them. The extent of Kurti’s anti-Serb hysteria is demonstrated by the fact that his forces at Gazimestan harassed a 12-year-old girl for singing songs, and checked the identity of her mother,” the statement read.

They emphasized that at the same time, “Kosovo police failed to react to a clear and deliberate provocation by Albanians, who were waving flags and honking horns through the center of Gracanica, near the monastery, attempting to provoke a reaction from local Serbs—but failed to do so”.

“We demand that the international community intervene in all cases of arbitrary and unlawful detention of Serbs, whose rights are being trampled, and who bear no responsibility for any provocations or incidents, but are instead victims of Kurti’s retaliation and hatred toward Serbs and all that is Serbian,” the statement concluded.

SL: Pristina authorities once again shown disregard for the religious and civil rights of the Serbian people (Radio Mitrovica sever, Kosovo Online)

The Serbian List stated that the authorities in Pristina, on Vidovdan, the most significant national holiday for the Serbian people, demonstrated once again that they do not respect the religious and civil rights of the Serbian population. They said that particularly disturbing was the fact that ''Kosovo police even interrogated a twelve-year-old girl who was attending the Vidovdan celebrations. At the same time, in Gracanica, a municipality where over 95% of the population are Serbs, provocations occurred as a group carrying Albanian flags marched past the Gracanica Monastery, in the immediate presence of Kosovo police officers who failed to respond,” the statement read.

They emphasized that such conduct represents an open attack on the basic human rights and freedoms of the Serbian people, and yet another indication that Kosovo police have become a tool of Albin Kurti for systematically targeting Serbs.

“The goal of such actions is clear – to intimidate the Serbs, to drive them out, and to erase every symbol of their identity and presence in Kosovo and Metohija,” they said among other things.

Kosovo police detain Serbian pilgrimage organizer near Gracanica monastery (N1, KiM radio)

Kosovo police detained V.P., the organizer of a pilgrimage group from Belgrade, in front of the Gracanica monastery on Vidovdan, according to Radio KiM. The group, which had gathered for a religious ceremony, wore red, blue, and white T-shirts bearing the slogan “United Serbia.”

V.P. was detained after being identified by police officers in the presence of KFOR troops and the Police Inspectorate.

Bratislav Trajkovic, commander of the police station in Gracanica, declined to comment on the reasons for the detention, directing all media inquiries to the Kosovo Police’s media office.

The KoSSev news portal contacted the central office of the Kosovo Police in Pristina for clarification and was awaiting a response at the time of the reporting.

Several hundred people gathered in the monastery courtyard on Saturday morning to attend the liturgy for the Vidovdan holiday. According to Radio KiM reporters on the ground, KP forces have been reinforced in the area, with KFOR personnel deployed at multiple locations around Gracanica in several vehicles.

With the Albanian flag through Gracanica (KiM radio, Alternativna)

A convoy of vehicles, including bikers, paraded on Saturday, around 1:30 p.m., through Gracanica, waving the Albanian flag. In the video provided to Alternativna by a reader, a column of vehicles headed by bikers can be seen, while an Albanian flag is flying from one of the vehicles.

According to testimony from the scene, the motorcyclists were touring on their motorcycles, causing a loud noise, the vehicles were honking, and the police stopped them at one point and allegedly called the two motorcyclists to the police station.

The Office for KiM claimed that the police did not react to what they said was an "obvious and deliberate provocation by the Albanians".

"Who waved flags and blew horns in the center of Gracanica and in the vicinity of the monastery, wanting to provoke an inappropriate reaction from the Serbs, but they failed to do so," they said.

Alternativna sent additional questions to the commander of the police station in Gracanica, Bratislav Trajkovic, but did not receive an answer by the time the article was published. 

On Saturday, Vidovdan was celebrated, which was why a liturgy was held in the Gracanica monastery, followed by a memorial service at  Gazimestan. Gracanica was that day the center of events, with visitors from central Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as from abroad, reported Alternativna.

17 Detained During Vidovdan Commemorations in Kosovo (KoSSev, media)

Despite heightened security measures and political tensions, this year’s Vidovdan commemorations in Kosovo proceeded largely without major incidents. Religious ceremonies were held in Gracanica and at the Gazimestan memorial site, drawing attendees from Kosovo, Serbia, and the region. However, the day was overshadowed by the detention of 17 individuals. The Kosovo Police justified the detentions as necessary responses to provocations, but Serbian representatives claim the arrests were politically motivated and aimed at intimidating the Serb community on one of its most important religious and national holidays.

Kosovo Police, which enforced heightened security measures under a special operational plan, reported that all events were held peacefully, without disruptions. Nonetheless, 17 people were detained due to what the police described as “inciting crowds, promoting hatred, and wearing provocative or inflammatory clothing.”

One individual remains in custody under suspicion of illegal weapons possession, while others were either released, fined, or were still being questioned, reported KoSSev on Saturday.

Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/mjmky5w4

Vidovdan, the Serbian myth, and DNA (Kosovo Online)

Serbs commemorated one of their most significant religious and national holidays – Vidovdan (St. Vitus Day). According to historians interviewed by Kosovo Online, this date represents both a “physical and metaphysical” foundation of Serbian national identity and its connection to Kosovo. The Serbian Orthodox Church marks Vidovdan in honor of the Holy Great Martyr Prince Lazar and all Serbian martyrs who perished in the Battle of Kosovo in 1389. In Kosovo, the holiday is traditionally observed with liturgies at the Gracanica Monastery and a memorial service at Gazimestan, the site where Serbian and Ottoman forces clashed 636 years ago.

A large number of believers from the region have gathered today in Gracanica and at Gazimestan.

“Vidovdan is the source of all of us. We have returned to our home, our house, our homeland – to the sacred Serbian land – to pray together, above all to the Lord, and to pray that soon the Serbian flag and many others may wave freely over Kosovo and Metohija,” said Aleksandar Vujicic from Belgrade.

For the first time since 1999, the celebration of Vidovdan has been accompanied by controversy following a court ban on the use of the Serbian flag.

Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/mrvuce2b