Albanian Language Media:

• PACE recommends Kosovo to be invited to become member of CoE (media)
• Kurti optimistic about Kosovo’s membership at Council of Europe in May (media)
• Haxhiu: Maximal punishments for killers; hate speech in social media to be monitored (EO)
• Osmani meets Svecla, Haxhiu and Hoxha on latest killings of two women (media)
• Osmani declares Wednesday day of mourning (media)
• Reactions continue after killing of woman in Peja (media)
• Fotovat: Men to be involved in discussions for protection of women in Kosovo (RFE)

Serbian Language Media:

• PACE adopts opinion on Kosovo application to CoE (N1, media)
• Dacic: A day of shame at Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (Kosovo Online)
• Miroslav Aleksic: Admission of Kosovo to CoE consequence of disastrous policy (N1, RTV)
• Brnabic: Maneuvering space in CoE small but truth and justice on our side (Tanjug, media)
• Lajcak: Next steps in Belgrade-Pristina dialogue discussed with Vucic in Mostar (Tanjug, media)
• Serbian List: Kurti continues with repression, denies right to medical treatment for Serbs (Kosovo Online, media)
• Serbian List meets Szunyog and Markovec: EU to act proactively and prevent escalation of situation carried out by Pristina (KoSSev, media)
• Vucic speaks with Aliyev about pressure on Serbia (media)
• UNMIK reacts to another femicide case in Kosovo (Kosovo Online, social media)

International Media: 

• Vote Puts Kosovo One Step from Accession to Europe’s Chief Rights Body (Balkan Insight)
• After Another Femicide, Kosovo President Declares Day of Mourning (Balkan Insight)
• Elections and Reporting on Missing Girl Spur Digital Rights Violations Across Region (Balkan Insight)

Albanian Language Media

PACE recommends Kosovo to be invited to become member of CoE (media)

The leading story in most media is that the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe recommended on Tuesday that Kosovo be invited to become a member of the Council of Europe. PACE adopted a statutory Opinion by 131 votes to 29, with 11 abstentions. “The final decision on membership rests with the Council of Europe’s ministerial body,” it said in a post on X.

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti said “a great day for Kosova, as PACE votes in favor of our application to join the Council of Europe. This is a ringing endorsement of our state’s record on human rights, democracy & rule of law, bringing the Republic of Kosova one step closer to full membership.”

President Vjosa Osmani said in a post on X that “the voice of Europeans has been heard! Thank you to each and every PACE assembly member who voted in favor of Kosovo’s Council of Europe membership today! A big thank you to our delegation and all those continuously supporting the people of Kosovo. One more step!”

German Ambassador to Kosovo, Jorn Rohde, said in a reaction after the vote: “Winning hearts and minds at PACE today: Kosovo’s membership application won almost 80% of the votes! Now comes the heavy lifting: in order to secure the necessary 2/3 majority at the Committee of Ministers in May, Kosovo must do what is needed to convince with merits and action!”

Kurti optimistic about Kosovo’s membership at Council of Europe in May (media)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti said on Tuesday that Kosovo is optimistic it will become a member of the Council of Europe in May. “We will engage for this to happen, because we have an extraordinary opportunity and at the same time there is no case in the history of the Council of Europe that the Council of Ministers ignored such a support at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. We saw the discussions there and the support for the Republic of Kosovo and our membership. It was both a mass and deep support because the debate too was won with arguments and not only with the power of numbers at the meeting,” he argued.

Asked if he is willing to risk membership at the Council of Europe if the price is to move forward with the Association of Serb-majority municipalities, Kurti said: “I don’t make steps that threaten the sovereignty, territorial integrity, constitutional and legality of Kosovo.”

Haxhiu: Maximal punishments for killers; hate speech in social media to be monitored (EO)

Kosovo’s Minister of Justice, Albulena Haxhiu, said on Tuesday that judicial and security institutions must react as soon as possible about the killing of women and that “these killings are an internal enemy that poses a big threat to Kosovo”. “These barbaric behaviors and monstrous acts destroy not only the lives of victims but also the lives of their families and society,” she said.

Haxhiu said that the perpetrators must receive merited punishments from judicial institutions. She also said that the hate speech in social media must be monitored. “Regrettably the hate speech that people use in social media is a very serious concern … I again make a call and I could be criticized by the institutions but there should be special attention to monitoring this speech that is used in social media. We cannot be spectators to these phenomena, therefore, it is urgent that we take action,” she argued.

Osmani meets Svecla, Haxhiu and Hoxha on latest killings of two women (media)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani, after the recent killing of two women, met on Tuesday with Interior Minister Xhelal Svecla, Justice Minister Albulena Haxhiu and Kosovo Police Director Gazmend Hoxha. Osmani expressed deep concern over the alarming trend of the killing of women and the urgent need to strengthen all mechanisms within security and judicial institutions that are bound by the constitution to protect the lives of citizens. The meeting also discussed the need for higher punishments and necessary changes to the Criminal Code of Kosovo.

Osmani declares Wednesday day of mourning (media)

All media reported on Tuesday that Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani has declared Wednesday a day of mourning in the memory of all women and girls killed in Kosovo as a result of gender-based violence.

Reactions continue after killing of woman in Peja (media)

The UN Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) reacted to the killing of a woman in Peja on Tuesday saying that SRSG Caroline Ziadeh was appalled by another femicide case within just five days and that she expresses deep concern and sadness. “She strongly condemns these abhorrent acts and extends her condolences to the family and friends of the victim. It is imperative that swift and resolute measures are taken to tackle the persisting violence against women and guarantee their safety and security,” Ziadeh said.

OSCE Head of Mission in Kosovo, Ambassador Michael Davenport, said in a reaction: “Latest case of femicide is an alarm call. It should shock all into action to: change mentality, ensure more effective prevention and tougher sentences on perpetrators, and root out possession of illegal weapons, as per our latest report”. Read report at: https://shorturl.at/nrvBD

Fotovat: Men to be involved in discussions for protection of women in Kosovo (RFE)

Senior Official of the Secretary’s Office of Global Women’s Issues in the U.S. Department of State, Katrina Fotovat, during an interview with Radio Free Europe, was asked how can Kosovo better combat gender-based violence after the killing of another woman by her husband in only five days. Fotovat said: “one of the ways that we’ve engaged around the world on gender-based violence issues is really making sure that the voices of survivors and those that are affected are really heard when we’re making legislation, when we’re talking about trauma informed approaches and making sure that that component is really taken into consideration. We need to talk to families and we really need to engage men. We’ve found that one of the best times to engage men on conflict related sexual violence or gender based violence is after they become fathers, they’re very open, everybody wants their family to be successful. Your family is successful if you are able to have a family that grows up in peace and prosperity.”

Serbian Language Media 

PACE adopts opinion on Kosovo application to CoE (N1, media)

Proposal to admit Kosovo to the Council of Europe (CoE) was adopted late last evening at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) session with 131 votes for, 29 against, and 11 abstentions, N1 reported.

The debate on proposal for Kosovo admission took place in Strasbourg. 65 MPs applied for participation in a debate, while 15 amendments were made to the text of Opinion prepared by rapporteur Dora Bakoyannis.  Bakoyannis called upon PACE to adopt her report on Pristina’s admission. She also said that despite concerning deterioration of the human rights situation in Kosovo, in particular when it comes to minority communities, she expressed belief that Pristina authorities were ready to continue with essential reforms in order to effectively protect all citizens in Kosovo. Bakoyannis underlined that her report does not take a stance on the status of Kosovo, adding if that would have been requested from her then she would not have taken over the role of the rapporteur and would align her opinion with that of the official stance of Greece, where she comes from.

Head of the Serbian delegation to PACE, Biljana Pantic Pilja harshly criticized recommendation for Kosovo admission, saying that rewarding Pristina for its unilateral acts represents a precedent which would open Pandora’s box, and that Serbia will consider it if wishes to be a member of the organization which flagrantly violates international law.

“You have decided to trample over international law and admit to the Council of Europe something which is not a state, aside from all procedures”, she said.

She also ironically congratulated rapporteur Bakoyannis for what she did, because Bakoyannis “will enter the history as someone who in the most brutal way violated all the norms of international law and principles this organization rests upon”, N1 reported. 

Dacic: A day of shame at Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (Kosovo Online)

Serbian First Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic said yesterday it was “a day of shame” at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe because for the first time in history a membership was recommended for something “which is not a state”, Kosovo Online portal reported. 

 “Today is a day of shame in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. For the first time in history, the membership of something that is not a state, and which does not meet the basic conditions in the domain of human rights and freedoms, has been recommended”, Dacic said in a written statement. He noted that Pristina, on the contrary, has been refusing to form the Community of Serbian Municipalities for 11 years, which is its international obligation, and is implementing, as he added, the policy of terror against the Serbian people and ethnic cleansing.

Dacic said that such a decision, imposed by the force of international powers, undermined the foundations of the Council of Europe and the international legal order. “What principle of protection of territorial integrity will they continue to talk about, when they violated the territorial integrity of Serbia?”, he asked.

Miroslav Aleksic: Admission of Kosovo to CoE consequence of disastrous policy (N1, RTV)

Leader of the Serban opposition Peoples’ Movement Miroslav Aleksic said adoption of a proposal to admit Kosovo to the Council of Europe was a consequence of disastrous policy of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and acceptance of Franco-German plan, as well as Orhid annex, N1 reported.

Aleksic told Radio Television of Vojvodina (RTV) that this issue was on the table since 2020 and that now “the pay time” has come. “In the meantime, the authorities did nothing constructive to prevent that. On the contrary, it is the proof that Aleksandar Vucic accepted implementation of the Franco-German plan”, he said. He added that respecting territorial integrity and sovereignty is a crucial matter, because, as he said, violation of those principles were the cause of conflicts in Europe for centuries.

“All that is happening in the Council of Europe now is a big test and a question to the EU and the US, are they ready to give up on the international order they have built after WWII by such precedent?”, he pointed out.  

Brnabic: Maneuvering space in CoE small but truth and justice on our side (Tanjug, media)

Serbian Parliament Speaker Ana Brnabic said on Tuesday Serbia’s maneuvering space regarding a proposal to admit Kosovo to the Council of Europe (CoE) was very small, but noted that “the truth and justice are on our side”, Tanjug news agency reported. Branbic made those remarks before the vote at the PACE adopting opinion on Kosovo admission to this organization.

“Winning this fight will be difficult, but the truth and justice are on our side. It is completely clear that establishment of a Community of Serb Municipalities (CSM), stopping illegal (land) expropriation in the north of Kosovo and Metohija and returning land to the Visoki Decani Monastery were the three preconditions (for Pristina’s potential CoE admission). I would like to thank those who said this erodes the credibility of the CoE and that after this, if this is pushed through, the CoE will not even mean anything”, Brnabic told reporters. Pristina has been refusing to establish CSM for 11 years now, the news agency recalled. Brnabic also noted the CoE was a protector of human rights and rule of law.

“What human rights are there for Serbs and other non-Albanians in Kosovo and Metohija? They do not even have the right to vote, or the right to receive pensions in dinars, they have no right to legal assistance when they are detained illegally by someone. They have no right to fair trial, and no right to their children having a future. None of that exists in Kosovo and Metohija, which is now being administered by interim institutions”, Brnabic added.

Lajcak: Next steps in Belgrade-Pristina dialogue discussed with Vucic in Mostar (Tanjug, media)

The EU special envoy for the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue Miroslav Lajcak said on Tuesday he had met with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic in Mostar earlier in the day to discuss the next steps in the dialogue.

“In Mostar, I also spoke to Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic about next steps in the Dialogue, the upcoming Chief Negotiators’ meeting, as well as regional developments”, Lajcak wrote in a post on the social media network X.

“I stressed the need for urgent progress in the implementation of the Agreement on the Path to Normalisation”, he added.

Serbian List: Kurti continues with repression, denies right to medical treatment for Serbs (Kosovo Online, media)

The Serbian List said in a statement that the Pristina regime, by raiding pharmacies and seizing medications in northern Kosovo, is denying Serbian people the right to medical treatment, while receiving praise from the international community for respecting human rights and support for entry into the Council of Europe, Kosovo Online portal reported.

“Today, under (Albin) Kurti’s order, heavily armed policemen with jeeps raided two pharmacies in Leposavic and one in Lesak, and confiscated medications from the employees in front of the elderly and sick who now cannot obtain their prescribed therapies”, Serbian List said in a statement on Tuesday. It added that for 10 months, based on “verbal”, presumably Albin Kurti’s order, the delivery of food and medicines from central Serbia has been banned, all as part of Pristina regime’s plan to endanger the survival of the Serbian people and deny them the right to medical treatment and a normal life.

“We demand repression against our people to stop, that the international community finally comes out of a state of hibernation and prevents the persecution of the Serbian people, or to publicly come out and say that they support what Kurti is doing”, Serbian List said. 

Serbian List meets Szunyog and Markovec: EU to act proactively and prevent escalation of situation carried out by Pristina (KoSSev, media)

Serbian List officials met yesterday head of the EU Office in Pristina, Tomas Szunyog and deputy director general of the European External Action Service (EEAS) Marko Markovec, KoSSev portal reported. Serbian List said in a statement they requested from the EU to act proactively on the ground and prevent escalation of the situation, carried out by Pristina authorities.

Serbian List also said they spoke about problems faced by Serbs in Kosovo as result of disrespect of reached agreements and unilateral acts of Pristina authorities, escalation of the situation on the ground and the need to respect the rights of the Serbian people and reached agreements whose guarantor is the EU. 

Vucic speaks with Aliyev about pressure on Serbia (media)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic spoke on the phone with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on Tuesday to inform him of the pressure on Serbia and ask for friendly and brotherly support from the people of Azerbaijan, according to the post.

“At the same time, I pointed out the exceptional level of cooperation between Belgrade and Baku, inviting Aliyev to visit Serbia. I expressed the confidence our relations would continue on the upward trajectory they have been on in the past several years”, Vucic wrote in a post on his official Instagram account.

UNMIK reacts to another femicide case in Kosovo (Kosovo Online, social media)

In a statement posted on its official X social media account UNMIK said it is “appalled by another femicide case within just five days. SRSG Ziadeh expresses deep concern and sadness regarding the killing of a woman in Pejë/Peć this morning. She strongly condemns these abhorrent acts and extends her condolences to the family and friends of the victim”, Kosovo Online portal reported.

“It is imperative that swift and resolute measures are taken to tackle the persisting violence against women and guarantee their safety and security”, the statement added. 

International Media 

Vote Puts Kosovo One Step from Accession to Europe’s Chief Rights Body (Balkan Insight)

Kosovo edges closer to joining the Council of Europe following a vote in the parliamentary assembly, much to the anger of Serbia.

The parliamentary assembly of the Council of Europe, the continent’s leading human rights body, voted on Tuesday to recommend membership for Kosovo, a major milestone in the young country’s international integration since declaring independence from Serbia in 2008.

The assembly, known as PACE, voted 131 to 29 in favor of Kosovo’s accession, with 11 abstains, over the fierce opposition of Serbia.

Read more at: https://shorturl.at/fpBKS

After Another Femicide, Kosovo President Declares Day of Mourning (Balkan Insight)

A second femicide in Kosovo in less than a week has prompted President Vjosa Osmani to declare a day of mourning on Wednesday for all those killed as a result of gender-based violence.

A man was arrested in the western Kosovo town of Peja/Pec on Tuesday on suspicion of killing his wife in the second femicide in the country in less than a week, prompting President Vjosa Osmani to declare a day of mourning.

The man had previously been found guilty of domestic violence in February 2022, sentenced to three months in prison and given a fine of 100 euros, Pec/Peja Basic Court spokeswoman Tringa Zhuti told BIRN. To avoid prison, the man paid an extra 300-euro fine instead.

Read more at: https://shorturl.at/moqS8

Elections and Reporting on Missing Girl Spur Digital Rights Violations Across Region (Balkan Insight)

Romanian politicians mull social media restrictions; Turkey, Croatia, and other countries face surges in digital rights violations ahead of elections, while the rest of the region is shaken by misinformation on a missing girl in Serbia and phishing attempts.

Politically fuelled inflammatory speech and misinformation was also marked in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Hungary, Kosovo, North Macedonia and Serbia. In some cases, politicians were targeted by these violations. In others, they were the perpetrators, exerting pressure on human rights defenders, journalists, and opposition.

The case of a missing girl in Serbia pushed some online media and social media comments into an abyss in terms of violations. Leaks of data from the investigation, speculation, accusations and insults of the parents, started in March and continued through April. Three persons were detained in Bosnia and Herzegovina suspected of using TikTok to claim involvement in the disappearance of the girl. At the same time, arrests for child sexual abuse online were registered across Serbia, Romania and Bosnia.

Read more at: https://shorturl.at/tzNP0