Pacolli: Kurti is no criminal, should be released (media)
Kosovo’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Behgjet Pacolli, has come out in support of Vetevendosje Albin Kurti’s release from detention. In a Facebook post, Pacolli wrote that Kurti is being held in detention for a political act. “I think the justice should focus more on real criminals. Albin is not a criminal. In European […]
Read More →Kuburovic: Special Court new chance for justice (RTS, Tanjug)
Serbian Justice Minister, Nela Kuburovic told RTS Serbia remains committed to achieving the justice for Serbian victims of the war crimes, pointing out that the Serbian victims did not find the justice before the international bodies. Kuburovic made these remarks during the visit to the Memorial Room of Kosovo victims, adding that the first indictments […]
Read More →Kosovo PM’s brother threatens with “activation of KLA” (RTS, B92)
Member of the Kosovo Assembly Daut Haradinaj says that “the first arrest for the special court” would “activate” the former KLA (“Kosovo Liberation Army.”) The brother of the Kosovo Prime Minister is mentioned as one of the first former members of the KLA to be brought before the Specialist Chambers, set up to deal with […]
Read More →UNMIK Headlines 28 December
Thaci: If demarcation does not pass in January, we will remain without visas (RTK)
Thaci: Special court, historic injustice towards Kosovo (Epoka e Re)
Government to prepare platform for final stage of dialogue (Epoka e Re)
EU: Pristina and Belgrade decide on format of dialogue (Koha Ditore)
Haliti: Not easy to abolish specialist chambers (Zeri/RFE)
Daut Haradinaj: We will have visas but also Kulla and Cakorr (Lajmi)
Usurped properties in Mitrovica North released to PAK (Zeri)
Prosecution opens investigation into electricity billing in the north (Zeri)
Belgrade Media Report 27 December 2017
United Nations Office in Belgrade
Daily Media Highlights
Wednesday 27 December 2017
LOCAL PRESS
• Dacic: Problems that caused wars have not been removed (TV Happy/Tanjug)
• Turkish Kurd extradited pursuant to decisions by court, commission – ministry (Tanjug/Beta)
• Sutanovac DS candidate for Belgrade mayor (Blic)
• Appeal for defense of Kosovo gathered intellectuals and bishops (Novosti/Politika)
REGIONAL PRESS
Bosnia & Herzegovina
• Dodik: Concept of coordination mechanism is biggest achievement in 2017, it stops centralization (RTRS)
• Ivanic asks Dodik to allow participation of Third Regiment during marking of January 9th (Klix.ba)
• Jerinic condemns Dodik’s decision re participation of B&H AF in ceremony marking RS Day (ATV)
• US Embassy to B&H on US Congressman Turner’s initiative for “Dayton 2” (Hayat)
• Former HVO member sentenced to 14 years in prison for war crimes against Serb civilians (Srna)
• Congress to Pentagon: Give us everything about Russians in the Balkans (RTRS)
Croatia
• President’s Office says messages sent out during holiday season must not incite conflicts (Hina)
• Serbian NGO accuses Croatia and Hungary of illegally returning migrants to Serbia (Hina)
Montenegro
• Decision on border demarcation postponed for 15 January (MINA)
• Mocnik: Western Balkans to be more involved in EU projects (Pobjeda)
fYROM
• Ivanov called for “compromise instead of revanchism” (Meta)
• Ivanov’s annual address was a shameful party-political speech, say SDSM and the government (Meta)
• Parties comment President Ivanov’s annual address (MIA)
• Zaev-VMRO-DPMNE leader Mickoski: Opposition should take part in Macedonia’s reform processes (MIA)
• Zaev on name issue, coalition partners and parliamentary majority (MIA)
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA SOURCES
• Hahn: 2025 ambitious but realistic goal (European Western Balkans)
• 2018 will be important for Western Balkans (EUobserver)
Initiative to abolish court for KLA crimes fizzles out (Tanjug, B92)
Eight out of 43 members of the Kosovo Assembly who supported an initiative to annul the law on the Specialist Chambers have withdrawn their signatures. The Specialist Chambers and Specialist Prosecutor’s Office, referred to colloquially as “the special KLA court,” were set up in 2015 under the auspices of the EU to deal with the […]
Read More →2018 will be important for Western Balkans (EUobserver)
Bernard Kouchner, a former French minister for foreign and European affairs, co-founder of Medecins Sans Frontières, founder of Médecins du Monde, and the former UN Special Representative and Head of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo, writes in an op-ed for EUobserver that next year is expected to be an important period for […]
Read More →Hoxhaj urges Arab countries to recognise Kosovo (Klan Kosova)
Kosovo’s Deputy Prime Minister, Enver Hoxhaj, thanked Saudi Arabia for support and recognition of Kosovo’s independence but expressed disappointment with the refusal of many Arab countries to follow suit. “When independence of Kosovo was declared, we expected there would be a wave of support and recognitions from Arab and Islamic countries but this did not […]
Read More →“Kosovo leaders damaged relations with international allies” (RFE)
Political analysts told Radio Free Europe that Kosovo political and institutional leaders showed they have no understanding towards the positions of the international community on sensitive issues. Ramush Tahiri said recent events give the impression that Kosovo leaders are not conscientious to international obligations Kosovo has taken on. “It is a fact that we are […]
Read More →Another month in detention for Albin Kurti and Donika Kadaj-Bujupi (media)
The Basic Court in Pristina has decided on another month of detention for Vetevendosje MPs Albin Kurti and Donika Kadaj-Bujupi. The two MPs are charged with activating teargas canisters in the Kosovo Assembly.
Read More →Dobruna: Thaci should have resigned (Telegrafi)
Sokol Dobruna, former president of the Kosovo Liberation Army Court, told RTV Dukagjini on Tuesday that the special court, which will address war crimes allegations in Kosovo, will not be revoked. Dobruna said Kosovo President Hashim Thaci should have resigned if he was under pressure to agree to the formation of the special court. “He […]
Read More →Supreme Court turns down AAK’s complaint for Istog (media)
Kosovo’s Supreme Court has overruled the complaint of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) for the runoff elections in Istog municipality. The AAK had complained about irregularities in the runoff elections and called on the Central Election Commission to annul the election results.
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