Albanian Language Media:

• COVID-19: 2,295 new cases, 18 deaths (media)
• Prime Minister Kurti received the Mayor of Tirana, Erion Veliaj (media)
• Trendafilova rejects request of Thaci’s defense for her withdrawal (RTK)
• AAK: The situation is very serious, get out of your shell of political interests (RTK)
• Suspicion that Mitrovica intellectuals are buried in a mass grave in Dreth (Koha)
• Protest: Killing of women to be treated as a national emergency (media)
• The U.S. Embassy: As long as domestic violence continues, women will never be equal (Koha)

Serbian Language Media:

• 23 new cases of Covid-19, one death registered in Serbian areas in Kosovo (KoSSev)
• EU: Pristina violated Brussels agreement in case of Ivan Todosijevic (Radio KIM)
• Raska-Prizren Eparchy, NGOs react to verdict to Ivan Todosijevic (media)
• Northern mayors urge Pristina to determine responsibility for Brussels agreement violation (RTS)
• Vucic: Todosijevic convicted because of truth (Radio KIM)
• Djuric: Vucic and I know people coming to State Department (N1)
• Hearing on lawsuit regarding Christ the Savior Temple land in Pristina postponed (Kosovo-online)
• Kosovo Judicial Council: Court employees in Mitrovica resumed working (KoSSev)

International:

• Kosovo Serbs Furious About Jailing of MP for ‘Ethnic Hatred’ (BIRN)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Stamenkovic: Kamenica has always been good example of co-existence (Kosovo-online, RTK2)

Albanian Language Media  

COVID-19: 2,295 new cases, 18 deaths (media)

Kosovo has recorded 2,295 new cases with COVID-19 and 18 deaths from the virus in the last 24 hours. 1,183 persons recovered from the virus during this time. There are 24,939 active cases with COVID-19 in Kosovo.

Prime Minister Kurti received the Mayor of Tirana, Erion Veliaj (media)

The Prime Minister of Kosovo Albin Kurti together with the Minister of Health, Arben Vitia, received in a friendly meeting the Mayor of Tirana, Mr. Erion Veliaj and the Deputy Mayor, Mrs. Anuela Ristani.

“They discussed the pandemic and the progress of the vaccination process in both countries. Mayor Veliaj was interested in the effect of the pandemic on the economy, appreciating the role and will of the Kosovo diaspora to contribute to economic development.

Prime Minister Kurti said that the economy has started to grow and according to projections, economic growth will reach 7.9 percent of gross domestic product. He said that progress has been made in exports and tax collection.

Cultural events to be held in the capitals of the two countries next year were also discussed. Prishtina will host the biennial “Manifesta”, while the Albanian capital of the activities of “Tirana, the European Youth Capital 2022”. Mayor Veliaj said that these two events are a good opportunity to promote Albanian art and culture,” reads a press release issued by the Office of the Prime Minister.

Trendafilova rejects request of Thaci’s defense for her withdrawal (RTK)

The President of the Kosovo Specialist Chambers Ekaterina Trendafilova rejected the request of Hashim Thaci’s defense, for her withdrawal from the specific task of appointing the panel of the Court of Appeals, which will decide on Thaci’s appeal for temporary release.

This request by Thaci’s defense was addressed on 16 August.

Former President Thaci has rejected all the accusations made against him by the Special Court, pleading not guilty. 

AAK: The situation is very serious, get out of your shell of political interests (RTK)

The Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) through a press release on its official website has called on the government of Kosovo, respectively Prime Minister Kurti and Minister of Health Arben Vitia, to get out of the shell of political interests because the situation with the pandemic is very serious.

According to the AAK, the government should engage all national potentials in the fight against the pandemic.

We recall that 79 citizens of Kosovo have died with Covid19 only during the last week.

Suspicion that Mitrovica intellectuals are buried in a mass grave in Dreth (Koha)

The Director of the Institute of Forensic Medicine Arsim Gerxhaliu told the news portal that there are suspicions of a mass grave in the village of Dreth, Leposavic municipality; some Mitrovica intellectuals may have been buried.

“It is suspected of a mass grave in the village of Dreth of Leposavic where the group of Mitrovica Intellectuals is suspected to have been buried. We already have the latest results of the satellite investigation and we believe that next week we can start the excavations,” he said.

Gerxhaliu said that they are waiting for images from several other locations in Serbia.

Protest: Killing of women to be treated as a national emergency (media)

Dozens of protesters have gathered near the building of the Ministry of Justice where they are demanding the dismissal of all judges, prosecutors and police officers who do not take cases seriously, according to the Code of Criminal Procedure.

“All the murderers of women are turning out to be recidivists”, “Down with the patriarchal institutions”, “This ministry has its hands full of women’s blood”, “The life of women, a joke for the state” are their most frequent calls.

Kosovo’s Minister of Justice Albulena Haxhiu has joined the protests as a sign of support for their  demands to treat the killings of women as a national emergency.

The protest is organized by the Feminist Thought and Action Collective, the Kosovo Women’s Network, the Youth Initiative for Human Rights and the Kosovo Center for Gender Studies.

The protest march started from the Ministry of Justice, continued to that of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and ended at the government of Kosovo.

The protest comes after the murder of Marigona Osmani in Ferizaj. The main suspect, Dardan Krivaqa, is in detention for one month.

The U.S. Embassy: As long as domestic violence continues, women will never be equal (Koha)

The U.S. Embassy to Kosovo has said that everyone should do their part to prevent and stop violence against women and report violence to promote equal rights.

The Embassy made this call through a post on social media on Gender Equality Day.

“On Women’s Equality Day, while celebrating the contributions of Kosovan women, we remember, much work remains. As long as domestic and gender-based violence continues to be normalized and accepted, women will never truly be equal. All of us, in Kosovo and the U.S, must do our part to prevent, stop, and report violence and promote equal rights,” reads the statement of the Embassy. 

Serbian Language Media

23 new cases of Covid-19, one death registered in Serbian areas in Kosovo (KoSSev)

Out of 83 tested samples, in the Serb-populated areas in Kosovo, 23 tested positive for Covid-19 and one person passed away, Crisis Committee of Mitrovica North announced, KoSSev portal reports.

The new cases were registered as follows: seven in Mitrovica North, two in Leposavic and one in Zvecan. 13 cases were registered in central Kosovo, including six in Gnjilane, two each in Gracanica, Prizren, Strpce and one in Kamenica.

Deceased person was from Zvecan.

Currently there are 138 active cases of Covid-19 in the Serbian areas in Kosovo.

A total of 151 persons have died due to Covid-19, since the outbreak of the pandemic in the Serb-populated areas in Kosovo. 

EU: Pristina violated Brussels agreement in case of Ivan Todosijevic (Radio KIM)

The EU Spokesperson Peter Stano told the media yesterday that in the case of Ivan Todosijevic Kosovo court didn’t respect what had been agreed in the Brussels agreement in 2013, Radio KIM reports.

“The Agreement stipulates that the Appellate Court in Pristina establishes a panel whose majority consists of Serb judges in the cases coming from majority Serb communities. It has not been respected in this case,” Stano told Tanjug news agency.

He recalled the Brussels Agreement is still valid and “as a cornerstone for normalization of relations between Belgrade and Pristina must not be violated”.

The EU expects from both sides to implement all agreements reached in the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue. Also, we expect from both sides to contribute constructively to reaching a comprehensive, legally binding agreement on normalization of relations”, he added.

He also said any denial or revisionism of events that took place during the conflicts in Western Balkans in the nineties “run contrary to the EU values and project of Western Balkan’s integration in the EU”.

“We urge all to exercise restraint out of respect for the victims and work on honest and truthful assessment of the past. The region needs reconciliation, stability and normalization of relations”, he concluded. 

Raska-Prizren Eparchy, NGOs react to verdict to Ivan Todosijevic (media)

Reacting to the court verdict to Ivan Todosijevic over his statement about Racak, Raska-Prizren Eparchy said the verdict caused serious distress and concern among the Serbian population in Kosovo, given it was not only about disproportional verdict, but also violation of the Brussels agreement stipulating that in the court cases involving the Serb community two judges from this community and one Albanian judge should make composition of the panel, Radio KIM reports. This was so to avoid passing unilateral decisions, the Eparchy added. 

“While every word Serbs utter is measured, Kosovo leaders without any problems express stances about Serbian people that incite almost daily incidents endangering the general security and insulting our people living here for two decades under constant ethnic discrimination”, the Eparchy said in a statement.

It also recalled Kosovo institutions are rather selective in judiciary when it comes to the cases related to members of the Serbian people, as is the case with “Constitutional Court decision on the land belonging to Visoki Decani Monastery which has been ignored, without any legal consequences by Kosovo institutions for five years (…)”.

“Ethnic unilateralism and exclusion in judiciary seriously hampers trust in institutions and do not contribute at least to the advancement of inter-ethnic relations”, the Eparchy said in a statement.

Meanwhile a group of Serbian non-governmental organizations active in Kosovo also reacted. They expressed concern regarding the decision of the Appellate Court in Pristina, adding that the First Agreement on normalization of Belgrade-Pristina relations has been violated by this verdict, Radio kontakt plus reports.

They also expressed indignation over, as they stressed, criminalization of a publicly expressed stance about the past which didn’t call for violence, recalling at the  same time that some politicians in Kosovo publicly called for violence against and expulsion of the Kosovo Serbs and yet responsible judiciary institutions have not reacted to it.

“Such cases unfortunately demonstrate that elements of ethnically-based justice and clear discrimination as well as double standards are still present in Kosovo”, they said in a statement.

Northern mayors urge Pristina to determine responsibility for Brussels agreement violation (RTS)

Mayors of four northern Kosovo municipality urged Justice Minister Alublena Haxhiu to stop threatening Serbian judges over the strike they entered following decision of the court to sentence Ivan Todosijevic to two years in prison, and instead initiate proceeding that would determine responsibility for violation of the Brussels agreement, RTS reports.

“It must be clear to Mrs. Hadziju that the strike of the Serbian judges was reaction and not an action, given that by violation of the Brussels agreement a vital interest of the Serbian people as well as the rights to justice and fair trial have been endangered”, mayors said in a statement.

They also welcomed decision of the Serbian judges by which they sent a clear message to Pristina that violation of the Brussels agreement to the detriment of the Serbian people, as it was in Ivan Todosijevic’s case was impermissible, recalling that “based on that agreement Serbian judges were integrated in the system of provisional institutions”. 

Also, a group of the Serbian opposition parties, including DSS and POKS as well as 23 civic associations gathered within NADA Coalition (National Democratic Alternative) extended full support to the Serbian judges in Kosovo and Metohija entering the strike over the verdict to Ivan Todosijevic. 

Vucic: Todosijevic convicted because of truth (Radio KIM)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic reacting to the verdict to Ivan Todosijevic over his statement on Racak, said that in this case the right to freedom of thought and fair trial have been brutally violated and urged European Union to demonstrate to Pristina it must adhere to what it accepted and signed, Radio KIM reports.

“A Serb from the north of Kosovo and Metohija, Ivan Todosijevic, by a final verdict was convicted to two years in prison, just because he said the truth. The truth about Racak, the truth of what happened to the Serbian people”, Vucic said in a video posted on his official Instagram account.  

Djuric: Vucic and I know people coming to State Department (N1)

Serbian Ambassador to the US Marko Djuric said Thursday “this autumn brings many changes”, including the State Department staff who President Aleksandar Vucic and he “know personally”, N1 reports.

Djuric, former director of the Serbian Government Office for Kosovo and Metohija, told the Belgrade-based Happy TV that “by the late spring of 2022, the Serb caucus will be three to four times bigger than before, which will be very important for Serbia”.

He also announced a Serb trade office on the US west coast and a new building of the Belgrade embassy in Washington.

Djuric also praised the US Ambassador to Serbia, Antony Godfrey, for “doing an excellent job for the Serb-US relations”.

Talking about ‘Open Balkan’ Initiative Djuric said the initiative was met with understanding among very influential US political cycles, adding this is one of the fields where Serbia’s and US interests match.

Asked to comment on Pristina’s statements that they will not respect the Brussels and Washington agreements, Djuric said the statement of former Kosovo Prime Minister Isa Mustafa that establishment of Community of Serb-majority Municipalities should be avoided speaks about “hypocrisy of Pristina” and “deepens mistrust in the negotiation process”.

“It is completely absurd that Isa Mustafa who signed the Brussels Agreement now steps out and demonizes it”, Djuric said. 

Hearing on lawsuit regarding Christ the Savior Temple land in Pristina postponed (Kosovo-online)

Preparatory hearing in the case University of Pristina filed against the Pristina Municipality and Serbian Orthodox Church regarding the land where the Christ the Savior Temple is located that was supposed to take place today, has been postponed, Kosovo-online reports citing Pristina-based Koha.

As Koha said the hearing was supposed to take place at 10:00 hrs today but got postponed due to request to exclude the judge in this process.

“Hasan Prishtina” University filed a lawsuit against Pristina municipality and the Serbian Orthodox Church on November 29, 2015 for proving the right to use and return the land on which Christ the Savior Temple is located.

Kosovo Judicial Council: Court employees in Mitrovica resumed working (KoSSev)

Judges and assisting personnel from the Serbian community resumed work today at the Basic Court in Mitrovica North, Kosovo Judicial Council said, adding it has been informed about it, KoSSev portal reports.

“The Council urges all judges and assisting personnel of the judiciary system to engage in performing their working tasks as set by the Constitution, Law and appropriate legal acts”, the Council said in a brief statement.

International 

Kosovo Serbs Furious About Jailing of MP for ‘Ethnic Hatred’ (BIRN)

Serb judges in Kosovo staged a one-day strike after MP Ivan Todosijevic was jailed for two years for inciting ethnic hatred for claiming that a wartime massacre of Kosovo Albanians by Serbian forces in 1999 was faked.

Serb judges in the town of Mitrovica in northern Kosovo refused to work on Wednesday in protest after MP Ivan Todosijevic was convicted of ethnic, racial or religious intolerance for his comments about the January 1999 massacre of 45 Kosovo Albanians in the village of Racak/Recak, which he claimed was staged.

The Serb judges argued that the so-called Brussels Agreement on normalisation of relations, signed by Serbia and Kosovo, was violated at Todosijevic’s trial. They argued that in cases that involve ethnic Serb defendants, the trial panel should consist of two Serb judges and an ethnic Albanian, but that this did not happen in the case of Todosijevic.

Mayors of four Serb-majority municipalities in Kosovo backed the judges’ strike, saying it was “a clear message to Pristina that it is unacceptable to violate the Brussels agreement on justice to the detriment of the Serb people”.

Todosijevic’s conviction means that he will have to step down as an MP. His party, the Belgrade-backed Srpska Lista, called the verdict “politically motivated” and “anti-Serb”.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic also slammed the verdict in a video posted on Instagram.

Vucic claimed that Todosijevic was sentenced to two years in prison “just because he told the truth – the truth about Racak, the truth about everything that has happened to the Serbian people”.

Read more at: https://bit.ly/2XNY8BZ

Humanitarian/Development 

Stamenkovic: Kamenica has always been good example of co-existence (Kosovo-online, RTK2)

Following an incident that took place last week when a group of Albanian boys beat up a 12-year old Serb boy in Kamenica town, the situation in this municipality is calm and stable and the report has been sent to the public prosecutor, Kosovo-online reports citing RTK2.

Kamenica Deputy Mayor Bojan Stamenkovic said this municipality has always been a good example of co-existence between Serbs and Albanians, adding it must stay like that.

“The incident we had some time ago was the first of such kind after four years and it was the event that caused distress among the Serbs living here and raised tensions. The Center for Social Welfare did its part, the parents were interviewed and the children and the report was sent to the public prosecutor (…)”, Stamenkovic said.

He added they insisted that police increase presence in that part of the town and park where children play, and although it was peer violence it can not be justified. He pointed out the role of families, where, as he said, everything comes from.

“In conversation with Kamenica residents we came to the conclusion that such things must not repeat. Parents say that during the games quarrels always occur, but this incident should be certainly condemned”, Stojanovic said, adding the parents should point out to their children all the time tolerance and togetherness must be appreciated and nourished.