• Court rules that election of Serb Deputy Speaker was unconstitutional (media)
• Court draws the line: Kosovo’s top judges rule Rasic election unconstitutional (Kosovo Dispatch)
• OSCE welcomes adoption of strategic plan for improvement of access to justice (media)
• Special Prosecution and police part of operation against intl money-laundering (Koha)
• Police find weapons and ammunition in an abandoned house in the north (media)
• Defence Ministry denies testing of “Skifter 1” drone in Kosovo (Indeksonline)
• UAE deepens healthcare partnership with Kosovo (The Kosovo Dispatch)
• Arsenijevic: Dialogue on disputed laws only with international mediation (Radio KiM)
• One crossing, many barriers: Does the scanner at Merdare solve the problem of Serbian goods entering Kosovo? (Kosovo Online)

Court rules that election of Serb Deputy Speaker was unconstitutional (media)

All news websites reported on Wednesday that the Constitutional Court of Kosovo said that the procedure for electing Nenad Rasic as Deputy Speaker of the Kosovo Assembly from the Serb community was not in accordance with the Constitution. The Court responded to a complaint filed by Srpska Lista at the time Nenad Rasic was elected Deputy Speaker of the Assembly. The judgment states that the decision to elect Rasic was not in line with Article 67, paragraph 4 of the Constitution of Kosovo.

“In applying the above principles to the circumstances of the present case, the Court, as explained in the Judgment, reached the conclusion that the majority of MPs from among the MPs of the Serb community exercised the right to nominate a Deputy Speaker of the Assembly, namely a member of the Presidency of the Assembly, by nominating nine candidates. Consequently, the election of Deputy Nenad Rašić to the position of Deputy Speaker of the Assembly did not result from a proposal by the majority of MPs from the Serb community, nor was there a refusal by the majority of MPs from the Serb community to exercise this right. Accordingly, the Court found that, in the circumstances of the present case, the unblocking mechanisms were not used in accordance with the spirit and purpose for which they were envisaged,” the Constitutional Court’s judgement states.

The Court also said that based on the principle of legal certainty, the judgment, in the circumstances of the present case, has no retroactive effect.

Read full ruling at: https://shorturl.fm/YGU74

Court draws the line: Kosovo’s top judges rule Rasic election unconstitutional (Kosovo Dispatch)

Kosovo’s Constitutional Court has ruled that the election of Nenad Rašić as vice-president of the Assembly from the Serb community was not in line with the Constitution or the Assembly’s Rules of Procedure — a decision that has reopened a fundamental debate over minority representation, parliamentary autonomy, and judicial authority.

In its judgment in case KO325/25, delivered on January 28, the Court found that the Assembly’s decision of October 10, 2025 violated Article 67 of the Constitution and Article 12 of the Assembly’s Rules of Procedure. By a narrow majority, the judges concluded that Rašić’s appointment did not originate from a proposal by the majority of Serb MPs, as constitutionally required, and that the so-called “unblocking mechanisms” were misused.

At the same time, invoking the principle of legal certainty, the Court ruled that the judgment would have no retroactive effect — meaning Rašić’s mandate will not be annulled.

The constitutional fault line

Under Kosovo’s constitutional framework, two vice-presidents of the Assembly must come from non-majority communities, including one from the Serb community. The right to propose a candidate belongs exclusively to the majority of MPs from that community, reflecting both democratic legitimacy within that group and the state’s obligation to ensure minority representation.

The Court acknowledged that Serb MPs proposed nine candidates, each of whom failed three consecutive votes. But it held that this did not amount to a refusal to propose candidates. As a result, the activation of the fallback “lottery” mechanism under Article 12(7) of the Rules of Procedure was deemed incompatible with the purpose and spirit of the Constitution.

In effect, the Court ruled that a parliamentary majority cannot impose a representative on a minority community simply to break a political deadlock.

Basha: Court exceeded its mandate

The ruling prompted an immediate response from Dimal Basha, who chaired the disputed session. Basha argued that the Constitutional Court had overstepped its authority by interpreting the Assembly’s Rules of Procedure, insisting that such interpretation belongs exclusively to the Speaker during plenary sessions.

He maintains that Rasic’s selection followed a lawful path because Serb MPs refused to propose the only remaining unvoted candidate — a refusal he treated as “non-proposal,” triggering the lottery procedure. “For me, this was a factual and legal refusal,” Basha said, arguing that he acted to prevent discrimination against the only Serb MP who had not yet been voted on.

Read more at: https://shorturl.fm/qjPFc

OSCE welcomes adoption of strategic plan for improvement of access to justice (media)

The OSCE Mission in Kosovo said in a Facebook post on Wednesday that it welcomes the Kosovo Judicial Council’s adoption of its Strategic Plan for Improvement of Access to Justice 2026–2028, “an important step toward stronger protection for journalists and media professionals and, ultimately, toward ending impunity for crimes against them”. 

“The Strategy requires judges to prioritise cases involving journalists - including crimes committed against media professionals, defamation proceedings, and lawsuits that appear to have been launched with the primary aim of harassing or pressuring journalists (so-called “SLAPP” suits). Faster handling of these cases can help ensure that attacks against journalists are addressed without delay, while unfounded or abusive claims are identified and resolved quickly. This reduces the burden on journalists and limits the potentially chilling effect that prolonged litigation can have on freedom of expression.

The Mission has consistently advocated for this approach through legal assistance, institutional engagement, and public awareness initiatives. Implementation now matters most: monitoring of and reporting on the Strategy must be matched by effective coordination across the police, prosecution, and judiciary - building on and making full use of the coordination mechanisms in place since 2017 to prioritise and process cases involving attacks against journalists and media professionals,” the mission said.

Special Prosecution and police part of operation against intl money-laundering (Koha)

The Special Prosecution of Kosovo in a statement on Wednesday informed about a police operation as part of a joint investigation with EUROPOL and the Prosecutor’s Office of Catania against financial crime and audiovisual piracy that has led to money laundering. This investigation, which took place in several countries around the world, also included Kosovo, where a Kosovo citizen with the initials PB was arrested. “The search warrant in Kosovo was carried out as an important procedural step, within the framework of a broad international operation against financial crime and audiovisual piracy, which have led to the laundering of money and illegal financial benefits, in several different countries around the world, including in Kosovo. During the investigations conducted, it resulted that among the suspects of this criminal group is also a citizen of Kosovo, with the initials PB,” the Special Prosecution said. 

Following an order by the prosecution, police carried out raids in two locations in Pristina and in a village in the municipality of Dragash on suspicion of committing criminal offenses: “Infringement of copyright”, under Article 290 of the Criminal Code; “Money laundering”, under Article 302 of the Criminal Code. 

The police operation was carried out simultaneously in the United Kingdom, Spain, Italy and Romania.

“The operation, carried out simultaneously in the United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, and Romania, has enabled the elimination of an IT infrastructure that illegally served millions of users, nationally and internationally, through a sophisticated IT system - IPTV. Meanwhile, Canada, India, South Korea, and the United Arab Emirates have also cooperated in the investigation. During the raid, a computer and four hard drives were found and seized. The Special Prosecution Office and the Kosovo Police reiterate their commitment to the fight against financial and economic crime,” the statement notes. 

Police find weapons and ammunition in an abandoned house in the north (media)

Most news websites reported on Wednesday that Kosovo Police have again found weapons and ammunition in the north, this time in an abandoned house in the village of Berxhane in Mitrovica. Among the weapons seized were also mine detonators, license plates of a vehicle of the former Serbian police and four shirts of the Serbian Police. A demining unit was also called to the site to handle the ammunition and an anti-infantry mine.

Defence Ministry denies testing of “Skifter 1” drone in Kosovo (Indeksonline)

Kosovo’s Ministry of Defense said in a statement on Wednesday that it was not part of any testing of the “Skifter 1” drone or authorizing such testing in Kosovo. The Ministry also said that KFOR, which is responsible for Kosovo’s airspace, had not authorized such testing. “Based on our information, no institution of Kosovo was involved in any such testing. The Ministry of Defense, in cooperation with the American Chamber of Commerce in Kosovo in October last year, was part of a joint activity of assessing Kosovo individuals and companies working on innovation and the development of small commercial drones and those for potential double use, civilian and military. During the activity, we assessed the innovations of drones with rotors and not drones with fixed wings. The assessment was done by the KSF experts for pilot-less drones. Among the innovators was the Future Minds Academy, a company that was given the first prize for the prototype of a drone with rotors (not another kind of drone, and not the drone that has been presented as the Skifter 1),” the Ministry told Nacionale news website.

UAE deepens healthcare partnership with Kosovo (The Kosovo Dispatch)

Kosovo’s healthcare system is entering a new phase of modernization, and the United Arab Emirates has positioned itself as one of its most consistent partners in that effort.

This week, officials in Abu Dhabi confirmed that preparations have begun for the selection of a site for a new gynecology hospital in Prishtina, funded through a €25 million Emirati donation agreed at presidential level between Kosovo and the UAE. At the same time, Abu Dhabi’s Department of Health has announced a €7.5 million investment this year to renovate and technologically upgrade the Sheikh Zayed Hospital in Vushtrri.

Taken together, the projects signal a shift from ad-hoc assistance toward structured cooperation in hospital infrastructure and medical technology.

The new gynecology hospital in Prishtina is intended to become a national reference facility for maternal health, strengthening services that already exist rather than replacing them. The parallel upgrade of Vushtrri’s hospital reflects a regional logic: modern care should not be concentrated only in the capital, but distributed across the system.

This is not the first time Emirati funding has reshaped Kosovo’s medical landscape. Over the past decade, UAE-supported projects have helped establish major healthcare institutions, including the Sheikha Fatima Children’s Hospital and Surgical Center in Prishtina and the original construction of the Sheikh Zayed Hospital in Vushtrri. These facilities are now integrated into Kosovo’s public health network, serving patients under Kosovo’s legal and administrative framework.

What distinguishes the current phase is its emphasis on technology and specialization. Rather than focusing only on buildings, the new investments target equipment, clinical capacity, and institutional sustainability — areas that determine whether hospitals function as modern medical centers or simply as structures with beds.

For Kosovo’s government, the challenge is not attracting funding but translating it into efficient implementation. Previous hospital projects have shown that success depends less on the size of a donation than on procurement discipline, construction oversight, and operational planning. The gynecology hospital will test whether Kosovo’s institutions can deliver a complex project on schedule and to standard.

Read more at: https://shorturl.fm/WiDc0

Arsenijevic: Dialogue on disputed laws only with international mediation (Radio KiM)

Aleksandar Arsenijevic, leader of the Serbian Democracy party, responded to an initiative by Nenad Rasic, leader of the “For Freedom, Justice and Survival” party, who recently invited political actors, particularly the Serbian List, to participate in drafting legal and technical proposals related to the Law on Foreigners. Rasic argued that the Serb community had not been adequately prepared for the new regulations. The Serbian List rejected Rasic’s invitation, describing it as insincere and stating that he was not a credible interlocutor. Arsenijevic adopted a more measured tone, noting that his party would review the proposal but was likely to decline. He stressed that his organisation is willing to cooperate with anyone genuinely committed to protecting the interests of the Serb community. Arsenijevic expressed doubts about the effectiveness of any initiative conducted in cooperation with the current Kosovo government. He warned that such efforts risk creating only the appearance of dialogue while legitimising unilateral decisions that negatively affect Kosovo Serbs. He emphasised that meaningful engagement is possible only under international mediation and on neutral ground, with external actors guaranteeing the integrity of the process. He concluded that Serbian Democracy could participate solely within a framework facilitated by international partners.

One crossing, many barriers: Does the scanner at Merdare solve the problem of Serbian goods entering Kosovo? (Kosovo Online)

Despite the installation of a modern cargo scanner at the Merdare crossing—intended to reduce truck inspection times to around ten minutes—trade between Serbia and Kosovo continues to face serious constraints. Business operators, drivers, and economic analysts told Kosovo Online that the core problem is not technology, but the fact that imports from Serbia are permitted at only one crossing, coupled with questionable political will.

In mid-2023, the Government of Kosovo banned imports of goods from Serbia, later amending the measure in October the following year. Imports from Serbia were then allowed exclusively via the Merdare crossing, while other crossings were promised to be “opened” once scanners were secured.

“To have controls at all border crossings, we need to obtain those scanners, which, first, we are purchasing ourselves, and second, we expect assistance from both the United States and the European Union. Until the scanners arrive, we will allow goods to enter only at Merdare, but under control, because security measures as such remain in force,” Prime Minister Albin Kurti said at the time.

Two days later, the German Embassy in Kosovo announced it was in contact with authorities in Pristina regarding the procurement of scanners to control goods arriving from Serbia. From then until now, kilometer-long truck queues have become a common sight at Merdare, with drivers reporting waits of two to three days at Kosovo entry terminals.

Germany Promised, the U.S. Delivered

In November last year, the German Embassy stated that two scanners would be installed at Merdare no earlier than 2026, without commenting on the reasons for the delay. However, instead of Germany, the United States last week provided a mobile scanner valued at €3 million. The handover ceremony took place on 22 January at the Merdare checkpoint.

“I believe this will accelerate and revitalize the flow of goods, while at the same time ensuring integrity in the inspection process and overall security,” said acting Finance Minister Hekuran Murati at the ceremony.

Read more at: https://shorturl.fm/4g4ye