• Kurti asked by reporters about the President: “it is a matter of hours” (Telegrafi)
• VV, PDK parliamentary groups to meet today over President election (Koha/Nacionale)
• Svecla reacts to Vulin’s threats, “international factors must pay full attention” (Koha)
• Kosovo detains four Serbs suspected of wartime killings (BIRN)
• Media freedom report highlights financial and managerial difficulties at RTK (AP)
• Students warn law on foreigners could disrupt education and force displacement (Danas)
• “Closing Serbian-run institutions would question multiethnic coexistence” (Kosovo Online)
• Prosecution confirms arrest of rap artist over assault against journalist (media)
• CoE media freedom report says Serbian journalists under attack in 2025 (N1)

Kurti asked by reporters about the President: “it is a matter of hours” (Telegrafi)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti was asked by reporters today about the name of the candidate for Kosovo President. “I am going to the meeting of the parliamentary group and believe me that I am as curious as you are. It is a matter of hours before we learn everything together,” he said.

VV, PDK parliamentary groups to meet today over President election (Koha/Nacionale)

Koha reports that the parliamentary groups of the Vetevendosje Movement (VV) and the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) will meet today in what will be the crucial hours for the election of the Kosovo President. The VV caucus will meet at 13:30, while the PDK caucus will meet at 14:00.

Nacionale meanwhile reports that Andin Hoti, currently Minister for Work, Family and KLA War Values, will be nominated by the Vetevendosje Movement for Kosovo President. Citing unnamed sources, the news website also notes that Hoti is lobbying to get votes from the PDK and the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK).

Svecla reacts to Vulin’s threats, “international factors must pay full attention” (Koha)

Kosovo’s Minister of Interior Affairs, Xhelal Svecla, reacted today to a statement made by former Serbian Intelligence chief Aleksandar Vulin on Tuesday that what Mossad did in Iran Serbia should do in Kosovo. Svecla said that the international community should pay full attention to Vulin’s threats. “The institutions of the Republic of Kosovo, at a high level of professionalism, are implementing their constitutional and legal mandate. They are ready to face any kind of threat with professionalism and in accordance with the law. At the same time, as heads of institutions we don’t back down in the face of these threats and we will continue our path toward strengthening our independent and sovereign Republic … Relevant international factors should pay full attention to efforts by Russia and Serbia to destabilize the region. Neither Vulin nor Vucic can scare us or stop us,” he said in a Facebook post.

Kosovo detains four Serbs suspected of wartime killings (BIRN)

The Basic Court in Pristina on Tuesday ordered one month of pre-trial detention for four local Serbs suspected of war crimes against civilians, alleging their involvement in the killing of six ethnic Albanians in the village of Syrigane/Suvo Grlo in Kosovo’s central municipality of Skenderaj/Srbica.

The four suspects, identified only by the initials G.T., R.K., S.T. and P.T., were detained following a request by the Kosovo Special Prosecution, which alleges that the crimes were committed during May-June 1998.

The court said detention was necessary due to the risk of flight and potential interference with witnesses. It added that the suspects also hold Serbian passports, raising concerns that they could leave Kosovo if released.

“If the defendants are released, there is a potential risk that they could influence witnesses and injured parties. In addition to the possibility of fleeing and becoming unavailable to prosecuting authorities, pre-trial detention is currently the only adequate measure to ensure the smooth and uninterrupted conduct of criminal proceedings,” the court said.

The court rejected a prosecution request to detain a fifth suspect, N.T., ruling that there was no well-grounded suspicion that he had committed the alleged offence.

The five were arrested on March 1 in a joint operation conducted by the Kosovo Police and the Special Prosecution at six locations, five in Skenderaj and one in North Mitrovica. Authorities seized a semi-automatic SKS rifle, a Zastava M-57 pistol, two magazines and 77 rounds of ammunition, a 12-gauge hunting shotgun with 17 rounds as well as uniforms and equipment of the former Yugoslav People’s Army, JNA.

It was not immediately made public whether the suspects were members of the JNA, the Serbian police force or any other armed unit at the time of their alleged crimes.

The detention order can be appealed.

Media freedom report highlights financial and managerial difficulties at RTK (AP)

The news website covers the Europe Press Freedom Report, an annual assessment by partners organizations of the Safety of Journalists Platform, which notes that in Kosovo’s case, the platform partners have called on authorities to urgently provide a sustainable funding model for the public broadcaster Radio Television of Kosovo (RTK). “Years of financial instability and recent growing political pressure have made it increasingly difficult for RTK to fully carry out its public service remit and serve the needs of society. Persistent underfunding jeopardises the broadcaster’s operations and its ability to provide quality public service. During 2025, RTK was left without access to its budget and was unable to pay salaries for its staff, leading to protests from its staff. In addition to the growing political pressure and the financial constraints, RTK is also facing a managerial and governance crisis, with only three of eleven board members’ positions currently filled and no legally appointed Director General,” the report notes.

Students warn law on foreigners could disrupt education and force displacement (Danas)

Students of the University of Pristina with temporary headquarters in Kosovska Mitrovica have appealed to the international community over the announced implementation of the Law on Foreigners, requesting a new moratorium on its application. They warn that the law threatens the uninterrupted functioning of the university and the continuation of studies. Academics and students from central Serbia and Mitrovica sent open letters to representatives of the European Union and the broader international community, seeking protection of employees’ right to work and students’ right to education. The application of the Law on Foreigners, announced for March 15, is viewed as directly linked to the integration of education and healthcare into the Kosovo system, raising serious concerns for the status of the university. Although education integration is not formally covered by the law, students stress that its effects would inevitably extend to university staff and students, many of whom could be required to prove residence or face administrative obstacles. Professors warn that such measures could lead to institutional blockage and forced displacement.

Professor Jugoslav Gasic from the Medical Faculty said the concept of “integration” promoted by Pristina effectively amounts to legalization without equal and active participation of Serbian institutions, warning that this could result in mass departures and long-term consequences for the Serbian community. Students are also concerned that the law could prevent students from central Serbia from entering Kosovo if they state that they study in Mitrovica, as Pristina does not recognize the university. They emphasize that the law threatens the survival of the Serbian academic community and opens broader questions of identity, legal status, and access to basic rights. The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, Quint, and EU institutions have been informed of the situation. Students and professors are calling for dialogue and for the international community to clearly assess the negative consequences of the law, warning that its implementation could irreversibly damage the Serbian community in northern Kosovo.

“Closing Serbian-run institutions would question multiethnic coexistence” (Kosovo Online)

The Coordinator of the National Convention for Chapter 35, Dragisa Mijacic, warned that shutting down educational institutions in Kosovo funded by Serbia would endanger the Serbian and other non-majority communities in Kosovo. He called on the international community to insist on the implementation of the Brussels Dialogue and the establishment of the Community of Serb-majority Municipalities (CSM) in order to protect the region’s multiethnic stability.

In a post on the social network X, Mijacic stated that official data from the Serbian Ministry of Education show that more than 21,500 children and pupils in Kosovo attend educational institutions organized and financed by the Government of Serbia, while more than 7,000 professors, teachers, and technical staff are employed in educational institutions funded by Serbia in communities where Serbs are not the majority.

“Institutions supported by Serbia provide education for all children of Serbian nationality in Kosovo, for the majority of Gorani, as well as for a portion of Bosniak and Roma pupils. The Government of Kosovo does not offer any alternative. These institutions are also an important employer in Serb-majority areas. Despite agreements reached within the framework of the Brussels Dialogue, the Government of Kosovo is threatening to close educational institutions funded by Serbia. It all began with the ban on the dinar, continued with the rejection of Serbia’s license plates, and is currently being implemented through the rigid enforcement of the Law on Foreigners, planned for March 15,” Mijacic said.

He added that the sustainability of the Serbian and other non-majority communities (such as the Gorani) largely depends on the education sector (and healthcare), and that shutting down institutions funded by Serbia would call into question multiethnic coexistence in Kosovo and could trigger long-term regional instability.

Prosecution confirms arrest of rap artist over assault against journalist (media)

Most news websites report that the Basic Prosecution in Pristina confirmed today that police have arrested a rap artist over an assault against Burim Pacolli, a journalist with the Nacionale news website. Three persons were arrested for the assault.

CoE media freedom report says Serbian journalists under attack in 2025 (N1)

Council of Europe (CoE) partner organization said in an annual report on media freedom that journalists in Serbia were constantly under attack from the authorities and regime-controlled media. The report was drafted by partner organizations working with CoE on its Platform to promote the protection of journalism and safety of journalists.

"In 2025, Serbia emerged as a major flashpoint for attacks on press freedom in Europe. The number of Platform alerts rose sharply over the course of the year, as the media environment grew increasingly hostile for journalists, particularly in the aftermath of the fatal collapse of a railway canopy in Novi Sad on 1 November 2024, which triggered nationwide anti-corruption protests," the report said.

It recalled that the 2025 Centre for Media Pluralism and Media Freedom’s Media Monitoring Monitor (MPM), which maps risks for media pluralism and the safety of journalists across Europe, identified high risks (68%) in Serbia, over the concentration of the media market under a growing state-party control. "According to the MPM, the appointment process to the Council of the Regulatory Authority of Electronic Media (REM),Serbia’s media regulator, was again conducted in a flawed manner, defined by many as lacking the necessary transparency and independence," it said.

The report said that the situation deteriorated for independent journalists reporting on and at the front lines of the protests. "Excessive use of force by law enforcement posed a serious additional risk to journalists’ safety, with police officers responding either through inaction or by directly confronting journalists with violence and arbitrary arrests. A protest in Belgrade on 28 June was particularly violent, resulting in injuries to numerous journalists. Novi Sad also saw repeated incidents of obstruction against journalists, including arrests and the confiscation of equipment," it added.

The report warned that high-ranking officials, including President Aleksandar Vucic, made statements which helped foster hostility towards independent journalists by framing them as “enemies” of the state. "This hostility was particularly directed at the main remaining independent TV station N1, the report said and recalled several instances of threats and accusations leveled against that newsroom including the president's statement that N1 is pure terrorism.

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