• Protest against electricity price increase (media)
• German journalist continues his ‘battle’ with Vjosa Osmani (media)
• 27 years since the Rambouillet Conference (Telegrafi, media)
• MFAD reacts after the arrest of Mitehat Llozhani in Serbia (Telegrafi)
• The Specialized Chamber rejects Hashim Thaçi’s complaint over alleged violations of his rights (Sinjali)
• CEC publishes parties’ expenditures: Over three months, VV spent more than €1.2 million (Nacionale)
• Radosavljevic: Kurti’s new laws are more dangerous than the abolition of the dinar (Kosovo Online)
• Vučić: We have information that Pristina is seeking additional weapons from the U.S. and Turkey; I am concerned about its alliance with Tirana and Zagreb (Kossev)
• Hill: The Serbia–Kosovo dialogue must be re-examined, progress is too slow (Kosovo Online) 

Protest against electricity price increase (Kallxo, media)

With chants and banners reading “We can no longer tolerate theft,” “Electricity prices rise, the people burn,” and “Electricity is not a luxury,” dozens of citizens gathered in front of the KEDS building in Pristina today in protest against the request to increase electricity tariffs. Media are reporting that one protester was arrested while the arrest occurred after a smoke device was thrown toward the police, an act which the detained individual denied. Meanwhile, Gazeta Express is reporting that Kosovo Police have been deployed near the Government building where protestors have congregated. 

German journalist continues his ‘battle’ with Vjosa Osmani (Gazeta Express, media)

German FAZ journalist Michael Martens has renewed his criticism of Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani, mocking her remark that Donald Trump should receive the Nobel Peace Prize. In an ironic post on X, Martens compared Osmani’s positioning to that of Hungary’s Viktor Orban, saying both “flirt” with proximity to Trump ahead of elections, Gazeta Express reports. He wrote that while Trump “re-posts a video in which Barack and Michelle Obama are depicted as monkeys,” Osmani “suggests, as Orban did before her, that Trump should receive the Nobel Peace Prize.”

Two days earlier, when Martens initially criticized Osmani for ‘flirting’ with Trump, Osmani’s adviser Rinor Nuhiu responded on X, calling Martens’ statements “defamation, insult and the spread of misinformation,” and warning they could entail civil and criminal liability under German law.

Media law expert Flutura Kusari criticized the prospect of legal action, saying that “in an attempt to protect her own reputation, she is damaging that of Kosovo,” adding that the initiative “does not harm the president,” given what she described as long-standing tensions with the media. Kusari made the remarks on Pressing, as reported by Express.

MFAD reacts after the arrest of Mitehat Llozhani in Serbia (Telegrafi)

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora have reacted to the arrest of Kosovar Mitehat Llozhani, who was arrested by Serbian authorities upon entering Serbia at the Batrovci border crossing, saying it has taken immediate institutional steps, requesting clarification from Serbian authorities, informing the EU Delegation in Serbia, and notifying Quint embassies to ensure international engagement to help protect Llozhani’s rights and security, Telegrafi reports. Llozhani is reportedly due to be charged with war crimes, according to a statement by Serbia’s Interior Minister Ivica Dačić, while the KLA Veterans’ Organization has said he was detained solely because a KLA veterans’ membership card was found in his pocket.

27 years since the Rambouillet Conference (Telegrafi, media)

Twenty-seven years ago, Kosovo’s future was negotiated at the Rambouillet Conference near Paris, where a divided Kosovo delegation of 16 representatives met Serbian counterparts under international mediation, Klan Kosova writes in a retrospective article. Despite disagreements and obstacles imposed by Serbian authorities, the delegation ultimately reached Rambouillet on February 6, 1999, and accepted the proposed agreement. Serbia’s refusal to sign the deal ultimately led to NATO’s intervention, according to the Klan Kosova report.

Meanwhile, other outlets reported PDK leader Bedri Hamza today highlighted the anniversary, describing it as one of the most decisive moments in Kosovo’s modern history. In a Facebook post, Hamza wrote that at Rambouillet, “Kosovo for the first time spoke and decided for itself, clearly aligning with peace, freedom and Western values, under the leadership of Hashim Thaçi”.

The Specialized Chamber rejects Hashim Thaçi’s complaint over alleged violations of his rights (Sinjali)

The Specialist Chambers rejected the complaint of former President Hashim Thaçi, who had sought an assessment of alleged violations of his fundamental rights in connection with the appointment of judges in the case against him in The Hague, Sinjali reports.

The decision was taken on 5 February, with the Chamber finding that some of Thaçi’s claims were premature while others were unfounded - declaring his request inadmissible. Thaçi had claimed that the president of the Special Court had acted illegally by appointing the same judge to approve the indictment and other decisions in the same case.

Chief of Staff of Decan mayor arrested (media)

The Basic Prosecution in Peja detained on the Mayor of Deçan Bashkim Ramosaj’s Chief of Staff Manjolla Shala on Friday morning, media are reporting. Shala is suspected of manipulating election results in her capacity as chairperson of the Municipal Vote Counting Centre in Deçan, Paparaci reports.  She was interviewed as a suspect on Friday morning and, following questioning, was detained for 48 hours. The detention of a chairperson of the Municipal Vote Counting Centre in Deçan was confirmed on Thursday by Shkodran Nikçi, spokesperson for the Basic Prosecution Office in Peja. In addition to her, several other members of Ramosaj’s cabinet are also suspected of the criminal offence of manipulating election results. 

Radosavljevic: Kurti’s new laws more dangerous than the abolition of the dinar (Kosovo Online)

The Executive Director of the New Social Initiative, Jovana Radosavljevic, told RTS that the new Law on Foreigners will most severely affect people who live in Kosovo but do not have Kosovo-issued documents, including workers and students within the Serbian education and healthcare systems, Kosovo Online reports. She adds that it remains unclear what the status will be of those coming from central Serbia. “These regulations raise more questions than they provide answers, and their consequences are even more far-reaching than the ban on the use of the dinar,” she warns.

Vučić: We have information that Pristina is seeking additional weapons from the U.S. and Turkey; I am concerned about its alliance with Tirana and Zagreb (Kossev)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić has voiced concern over an apparent military alliance involving Pristina, Tirana and Zagreb, warning that what is presented as a defensive alliance can quickly become offensive. Speaking to the media during the opening of a renovated high school in Mladenovac, Vučić said Serbia had prior knowledge of the alliance’s meetings and activities, despite their official announcement being delayed, adding that attempts to keep it secret had failed.  “A military alliance is created for defense or offensive actions against certain territories. That defensive alliance can grow into an offensive alliance in one day," the website reports Vucic said.

Hill: The Serbia–Kosovo dialogue must be re-examined, progress is too slow (Kosovo Online)

Former U.S. Ambassador to Serbia Christopher Hill said that the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina needs to be re-examined, given that progress so far has been very slow, noting that a process focused on achievable results is the right path.

In an interview with Kosovo Online, Hill said that differing approaches have led to a certain degree of confusion, adding that he would like to see a process that truly moves toward normalization, so that people living—whether in Mitrovica or elsewhere—can wake up in the morning knowing what their lives will look like.