Albanian Language Media:

• EU: Serbia violated agreement on freedom of movement (media)
• Kurti: One day after PACE vote, Serbia retaliates against Kosovo civilians (media)
• Osmani says Vucic responsible for Kosovars “held hostage” at border crossings (media)
• Bislimi and Petkovic to meet in Brussels, after hold up of Kosovars in Serbia (media)
• Kurti: Serbia has a problem with the fact that we exist as people and as state (RTK)
• Gervalla: Vucic is carrying out threats after vote for Kosovo’s membership at CoE (RTK)
• Bislimi informs Lajcak about “hundreds of Kosovars held hostage by Serbia” (media)
• MIA: Serbia is keeping detained the Deputy Director of Police and 4 police officers (RTK)
• AmCham expresses deep concern over Serbia blocking Kosovo buses (media)
• Kamberi: Serbia with repressive measures against Albanians in Presevo Valley (media)
• Ahmeti on Association: It must be addressed after membership in CoE (RTK)
• Haxhiu welcomes arrest of leader of group that blackmailed women and girls (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Serbian MIA: Unfounded claims about detention of buses at the borders (RTS, media)
• Stano: Avoid actions that may endanger safety (KiM radio, Danas, FoNet)
• PKS: We will not participate in the referendum if it takes place violently (KiM radio, KoSSev)
• The principals of most schools in the north of Kosovo refused to allow the vote to be held in the schools (Tanjug, media)
• Serbian police arrest senior Kosovo Police official (N1, KoSSev, KiM radio)
• KFOR on the British Telegraph writing: We do not speculate on any hypothetical scenarios (KoSSev)
• The N. Macedonia government to reconsider its participation in the Open Balkans, due to new information on Banjska (KiM radio, Beta)

International Media: 

• Kosovo says 10 of its police officers detained in Serbia (Reuters)
• Serbia angry after Kosovo gets closer to joining Council of Europe (euronews)
• Kosovo Calls on Citizens to Avoid Serbia Travel Amid Reported Border Blockage (Prishtina Insight)
• “Blood Awaits Justice”: Kosovo Man Recalls Finding 53 Massacred Family Members (Prishtina Insight)

Albanian Language Media

EU: Serbia violated agreement on freedom of movement (media)

The European Union has assessed the action of the Serbian authorities, which has blocked Kosovar citizens at its borders, as a violation of the Agreement on Freedom of Movement, while calling on Serbia to refrain from such unilateral actions. 

The spokesperson of the EU, Peter Stano, said that they are following the situation closely.

“We are aware of the situation and are following it closely. The Agreement on Freedom of Movement reached within the dialogue facilitated by the EU defines clear parameters for the entry and exit of Kosovo citizens to and from Serbia. The current situation constitutes a violation of this agreement and we call on Serbia to refrain from such unilateral and uncoordinated actions and immediately return to respecting the agreement”, Stano emphasized. 

He further said that the EU expects the parties to fully implement all their dialogue obligations, which according to him remain valid and binding.

“We also expect the parties to ensure a favorable environment for the development of dialogue and to avoid any action that could endanger security and stability,” Stano said.

The reaction of the European Union comes after the Serbian authorities have blocked dozens of buses with hundreds of passengers from Kosovo, not allowing them to enter Serbia. The heads of institutions in Kosovo have assessed such an action as Serbia’s revenge against Kosovar civilians for voting in favor of Kosovo’s membership in the Council of Europe in the Parliamentary Assembly.

Kurti: One day after PACE vote, Serbia retaliates against Kosovo civilians (media)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti said in a post on X on Wednesday that one day after the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe voted in favor of Kosovo’s membership in the Council of Europe, “Serbia retaliated against Kosovo civilians”. “Since this morning, over 300 of our citizens—incl. children—have been arbitrarily detained at the border, deprived of food & medication. A gross violation of human rights!” Kurti argued. 

Osmani says Vucic responsible for Kosovars “held hostage” at border crossings (media)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani said on Wednesday that “Serbia is retaliating against Kosovo citizens, one day after the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe vote, by holding many hostage at border crossings, intimidating, confiscating docs and depriving them of food”. Osmani argued that Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic is responsible for this. “As I did all day, I urge our partners for swift action,” she wrote in a post on X.

Bislimi and Petkovic to meet in Brussels, after hold up of Kosovars in Serbia (media)

As a result of the new tensions created by the Serbian side, with the blocking of Kosovars at the border points of Serbia, the European Union will hold a meeting today in Brussels, at the level of chief negotiators. This was confirmed by the spokesperson of the EU, Peter Stano, when asked about a possible meeting between the parties. A meeting between the parties had been announced two days ago by the EU mediator for the dialogue, Miroslav Lajcak, however not for tensions created on Wednesday, but for the dinar issue.

Kurti: Serbia has a problem with the fact that we exist as a people and as a state (RTK) 

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti has demanded the immediate release of the Kosovar citizens who have been detained and are being kept trapped at the borders with Serbia.

Asked by RTK about the actions of the Serbian authorities across the borders, Prime Minister Kurti stated that this situation was warned by Serbia, and added that this is also being done after the success of Kosovo in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. 

“On Sunday, there was a public statement by the president of Serbia, where it was warned that there will be this type of arrests and detentions for Albanians at the border crossings. He publicly said when he visited the specialized Cobra unit of the Serbian army, that where they have effective control, there will be attacks on those whom Serbia considers undesirable. And here he is talking about the Albanians of Kosovo, about the Albanians who are in Presheva, Medvegja and Bujanoc and not only, but also about the Serbs who are integrated in the institutions of our system. Meanwhile, after the successful passage of 82 percent of the votes in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, it seems that the measure of Serbia has accelerated and increased, which simply has a problem with the fact that we as a people and as a state exist”, Kurti emphasized.

The prime minister made these comments after the tributes in Poklek on the 25th anniversary of the massacre of Albanian civilians by Serbian forces.

He further emphasized that the Serbian authorities have not only not regretted what happened 25 years ago, but it seems clear that they also have some kind of desire to continue Milosevic’s former crimes.

“Many of whom are probably still in power who at that time gave orders and executed, and here I am not only talking about the president of Serbia, who is known worldwide to have been the Minister of Information. Hundreds of Albanians trapped and arrested by the Serbian authorities should be released immediately, either on the border between Kosovo and Serbia or the border between Serbia and Croatia, and they should be given food and medicine, since some of them are being held for 24 hours, are kept trapped like this, and among those hundreds are dozens of children, who of course suffer the most from this criminal situation that was created by order from Belgrade”, added Kurti.

He said that if you listen carefully to what the president of Serbia said when he visited the Cobra unit, you will be able to understand that what is happening today was forewarned.

Gervalla: Vucic is carrying out threats after vote for Kosovo’s membership at CoE (RTK)

Kosovo’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Donika Gervalla, has stated in a press conference on Wednesday evening that the Serbian president, Aleksandar Vucic, has started to implement his threats after the vote for Kosovo’s membership in the Council of Europe. 

“We are witness to Vucic’s threatening statements and he has threatened not only Kosovo, but also international partners that the vote for Kosovo will have consequences. In this context, I see the ban on travelers there. Not only in the buses, but also in cars and especially the detention of many Police officials.

From the direct conversations we have had with travelers there, we know that the rights of our citizens have been massively violated. Many of them, when they were interviewed there, were forced to talk about the KLA soldiers, and if any of them are there”, she said.

Gervalla announced that she has met the ambassadors of QUINT, and the representative of the European Union, and asked from them a clear and firm response “not only to prevent such an action in the future but also to demonstrate a unity among the democratic factor towards the approach that Serbia has shown today. Today, the agreement on mobility has also been violated, so we must be prepared and vigilant,” she said.

Asked about the number of the detained citizens and police officers, Gervalla said that they will speak about figures once that they have correct and verified information.

Bislimi informs Lajcak about “hundreds of Kosovars held hostage by Serbia” (media)

Kosovo’s Deputy Prime Minister and chief negotiator in the EU-facilitated talks with Serbia, Besnik Bislimi, said in a post on X on Wednesday that “Kosova’s progress, economic development and pure democracy, culminated with yesterday’s advancement towards membership in the Council of Europe. This great news, unfortunately sparked hate speech from Serbian politicians, but also direct actions against our citizens. Hundreds of them, including women and children, now for more than 13 hours, are being held hostages by the Serbian side, in the border with Croatia. Our citizens are being questioned, their personal documents have been confiscated, and they are left without food or medication. Regarding the situation I have also informed Mr. Lajcak. This is Serbia’s response & hypocrisy towards respect for human rights coming from a country that is currently member of the CoE. Such act proves once again the democratic decline & their consistent policy of aggression. They talk about human rights, but they are ethnically cleansing Albanians through administrative means in Presheva Valley, they block citizens in borders because of their ethnicity & opposition politician Nikola Sandulovic gets beaten & prosecuted for expressing his own views. Kosovo is an independent, sovereign & democratic country. We won’t stand down against bullying actions from Serbia who is proving once again that they aren’t committed to good neighbourly relations & normalization. As Vulin nailed it: Serbia does not belong in the CoE & EU as well.”

MIA: Serbia is keeping detained the Deputy Director of Police and 4 police officers (RTK) 

Kosovo’s Ministry of Internal Affairs has condemned the detention of citizens at the border points of Serbia and demands their and the detained police officials’ immediate release. In a press release, the MIA says that Serbia has activated its revenge methods by mistreating citizens, after Kosovo’s victory in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.

“From the early morning, buses and vehicles that were transporting our citizens from the west to Kosovo or vice versa were targeted, stopping them, confiscating their personal documents and interviewing them without any prior justification. Our citizens have been locked up in the offices of the Serbian authorities for hours and have been interviewed by various people about their participation or eventual connections with the Kosovo Liberation Army or the war in Kosovo. 

This act of Serbia, by prohibiting their movement and mistreating our citizens for over 20 hours regardless of age and gender, violates every human norm and, above all, is a flagrant violation of the Agreement on freedom of movement between Kosovo and Serbia,” the communique reads. 

The Ministry of Internal Affairs also informs that since this morning, the deputy director of the Kosovo Police from the Serb community, Dejan Jankovic, and four other police officials have been detained without explanation. 

“According to the information we have, Deputy Director Jankovic has been sent to Raska and knowing this repeated practice of Serbia towards citizens and police officers, he is interviewed by various state actors of Serbia. 

The relevant institutions are in the process of providing accurate information to clarify the situation created, but from what we have so far, 10 members of the Kosovo Police (Albanians and Serbs) were detained at the border crossings of Merdar, Jarinje, Dheu i Bardhe and on the border between Croatia and Serbia. Five of them have been released, while five are still in custody, including Deputy Director Jankovic,” the MIA communiqué continues.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora as well as the relevant institutions are closely monitoring the received information and the same are being shared with international partners.

“We call on the authorities of Serbia for the immediate release of all citizens and members of the Kosovo Police detained without any justification and as a sign of revenge for the Republic of Kosovo. Meanwhile, we ask the entire international factor to strongly condemn this behavior of Serbia against citizens of the Republic of Kosovo. Such acts have been done repeatedly by this state, for which we reiterate that there are already many citizens in Serbian prisons who are unjustly held for the same reasons against our country”, it is emphasized in this communique of the Ministry of the Interior.

Meanwhile, this institution has called on all citizens to avoid traveling through Serbia, and published emergency contact numbers. 

AmCham expresses deep concern over Serbia blocking Kosovo buses (media)

The American Chamber of Commerce in Kosovo (AmCham) in a statement on Wednesday expressed “deep concern over the recent actions taken by Serbian authorities to block the movement of several Kosovo buses transporting people from Kosovo to Western Europe. This blockade, which occurred at the border crossing points between Serbia and Croatia and Serbia and Hungary, represents a clear violation of the provisions of the agreements for the normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia”. Read more at: https://shorturl.at/enFPV

Kamberi: Serbia with repressive measures against Albanians in Presevo Valley (media)

Shaip Kamberi, the sole Albanian member of the Serbian Parliament, said in a Facebook post on Wednesday that Serbia has started introducing repressive measures against Albanians in Presevo Valley immediately after the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe voted in favor of Kosovo’s membership in the organization. “Welcome to the 1990s. Serbia has initiated repressive measures … which are being implemented against Albanian civilians from Presevo Valley, at the Dheu i Bardhe border crossing … Youths from Bujanoc are being stopped today at the Dheu i Bardhe border crossing, they are held for hours at the crossing. These repressive measures against Presevo Valley Albanians are implemented alongside the same measures against the Kosovo Albanians at Serbian border crossings, especially at the border with Croatia. Serbia today is brutally violating the Agreement on license plates and is gravely violating the basic human right of freedom of movement. These measures are being enforced as a response to the important step of the Republic of Kosovo for membership in the Council of Europe. Stoppings at borders, police patrols and the outraging anti-Albanian rhetoric that is being applied in the last couple of days is a repetition of Serbia’s measures of aggression against the Albanians. The European Union and other international institutions must come out with a powerful reaction to the repression from an ‘aspiring’ country,” he said.

Ahmeti on Association: It must be addressed after membership in CoE (RTK)

Kosovo’s Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kreshnik Ahmeti, has reiterated that the Association of municipalities with a Serb majority is an issue that must be addressed after Kosovo’s membership in the Council of Europe.

“Article 11 of the opinion of rapporteur Bakoyannis clearly shows that this commitment should be addressed after membership. Even yesterday at the plenary session in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, we heard from one of the leaders of the largest political group in the Parliamentary Assembly that the Council of Europe is not the European Union. The processes of the two organizations, which are independent from each other, should not be connected”, Ahmeti stated at the press conference.

According to him, the Association will not be achieved by unilateral commitments but by procedures of both parties.

“Now the argument that Kosovo should become a member in May of this year is not ours, but it is the conclusions of the bodies of the Council of Europe. The legal department has said that there are no legal obstacles, eminent jurists have said that Kosovo meets these standards, and even exceeds them in some cases. Ms. Bakoyannis has come to the conclusion that the prerequisites have been met,” he said

Haxhiu welcomes arrest of leader of group that blackmailed women and girls (media)

Kosovo’s Minister of Justice, Albulena Haxhiu, said in a Facebook post on Wednesday that she welcomed the arrest of one of the administrators of a group on Telegram [“Albkings”] that posted intimate photos and videos of women and girls. “I welcome the administrator of the most denigrating group that ever existed ‘Albkings’ … The emotional damage and psychological violence caused by this group must be condemned same as the threats, blackmails, denigrations, and abuses by these people. I hope that this case continues to be treated seriously because there are many cases when after the illegal distribution of private photos or videos, many girls and women committed suicide. Each and every one of these people must be brought to justice. I appreciate the work of the police and the prosecution so far,” Haxhiu said.

Serbian Language Media 

Serbian MIA: Unfounded claims about detention of buses at the borders (RTS, media)

The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Serbia announced yesterday regarding the alleged detention of buses with registration marks from the territory of Kosovo at the border crossing points, pointing out that these allegations are unfounded and that the police did not detain anyone or prevent the entry and passage of any citizen from the territory of ”the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija”, reported Radio Television of Serbia (RTS), citing the Ministry statement. 

The Ministry explained that the increased control of all passengers at the border crossings was underway and security checks were being carried out, all with the aim of greater safety and security of citizens, which may have caused a longer stay at the border crossing itself.

“The Ministry of the Interior emphasizes once again that all citizens from the territory of the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija are allowed unhindered entry and strongly rejects the insinuations that they are prohibited from entering due to the possession of documents issued by the temporary institutions of self-government in Pristina,” the statement read.

The Ministry called on ”the authorities of the temporary institutions in Pristina to not spread panic and falsely inform the public”, reported RTS.

Pristina media announced yesterday that allegedly “hundreds of citizens of the Republic of Kosovo have been blocked in Serbia at the border with Croatia and are not allowed to continue their journey”.

Kosovo’s Ministries of Interior and Foreign Affairs told citizens to avoid traveling through central Serbia, citing the “arbitrary stoppage of Kosovo citizens”, recalled RTS.

Stano: Avoid actions that may endanger safety (KiM radio, Danas, FoNet)

The spokesperson of the European Union (EU) Peter Stano commented on the allegations of the Kosovo media that buses with Kosovo license plates carrying almost 300 citizens were stopped on the border of Serbia and Croatia, at the Batrovci border crossing, saying that they are aware of the situation and are closely monitoring it, reported KiM radio. 

“The agreement on freedom of movement reached within the dialogue led by the EU defines clear parameters for the entry and exit of citizens of Kosovo to and from Serbia. The current situation is a violation of this agreement, and we call on Serbia to refrain from such unilateral and uncoordinated actions and to immediately return to respecting the Agreement,” said Stano.

As he added, the EU expects the parties to fully implement all their obligations from the dialogue, which remain valid and binding.

“We also expect the parties to provide an environment conducive to dialogue and avoid any actions that could threaten security and stability,” he said.

PKS: We will not participate in the referendum if it takes place violently (KiM radio, KoSSev)

The Kosovo Serb Party announced last night saying that despite the appointment of members of this party in the municipal election commissions for the process of conducting the referendum, they will not participate in the same if, as they state, it takes place “by force or violent methods”, reported KiM radio. 

“Irresponsible and extremely irresponsible statements by the representative of the Kosovo government in the CEC, in this case by a certain militant from Self-Determination Sami Kurteshi, that they are thinking about violent incursions and occupying schools in Serbian areas, is a dangerous and very reckless adventure,” the PKS said, adding that violent incursions and occupation of schools can lead to serious incidents with possible physical confrontations.

“If the CEC thinks that it can again like in April 2023 implement some processes (elections) unilaterally and by force, then it should be said in due time that those institutions will be responsible for possible incidents,” they note.

The party pointed out that they appointed members in the municipal election commissions for the process of implementing the referendum, which was requested by the Serbian List.

“However, we will not participate in this process if it is carried out in any way by violent means and violent methods,” reads the statement for the media.

“We warn the embassies of Quint, OSCE, KFOR and EULEX to take such statements and signals from Pristina extremely seriously and to prevent any unilateral action of their protégé and Serb-hater Albin Kurti on time”, concludes the Party of Kosovo Serbs.

The principals of most schools in the north of Kosovo refused to allow the vote to be held in the schools (Tanjug, media)

The directors of 33 schools in the north of Kosovo refused to hold in school buildings a vote for the removal of the mayors of four municipalities in the north, said the president of the central election commission in Pristina, Kreshnik Radoniqi, reported Tanjug yesterday. 

The secretary of the CEC Burim Ahmetaj said that the secretariat, due to the very short deadline until the vote that should be held on April 21, is working intensively on finding alternative locations, reported Tanjug, citing Zeri.

Serbian police detained senior Kosovo Police official (N1, KoSSev, KiM radio)

The Serbian police detained a senior Kosovo Police official at the Jarinje crossing on Wednesday, the KoSSev news portal reported.

It said that Kosovo Police Deputy Director General Dejan Jankovic, a Serb, was ‘’arrested when he tried to cross into Serbia proper with his wife’’.

The arrest was initially reported by deputy Prime Minister Jetoj Zulfaj in an X post. He claimed that the arrest and refusal to allow Kosovo-registered buses into Serbia proper were Belgrade’s reaction to the vote in the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly which recommended Kosovo’s membership in that organization.

No reason for the arrest was reported.

Kosovo’s MIA announced last night and said that ten members of the Kosovo Police (Albanians and Serbs) were detained at the Jarinje, Merdara and Bela Zemlja crossings, as well as at the Serbian-Croatian border. Five of them were released, while another five are in custody, including the deputy director of the KP, Dejan Jankovic, reported KiM radio.

KFOR on the British Telegraph writing: We do not speculate on any hypothetical scenarios (KoSSev)

KoSSev portal contacted KFOR in connection with the British Telegraph’s writing that caused many reactions as reported by media, and on social networks. 

KoSSvev asked KFOR whether there is a possibility that Kosovo will become a new Ukraine, that is, that a new conflict could occur, the NATO mission said that the Russian invasion of Ukraine disturbed the peace in the Euro-Atlantic area and seriously changed the security environment.

“The impact of Russia’s brutal war of aggression is far-reaching and felt in many regions. Concerns about Russia’s influence in the Western Balkan region have intensified since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine,” they said.

However, they say that they do not want to “speculate on any hypothetical scenario”, and that they remain focused on their mission – to maintain a safe and secure environment for all people living in Kosovo.

“The NATO-led peacekeeping force in Kosovo – KFOR remains focused on its mission, which is based on United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244 of 1999 – to maintain a safe and secure environment for all people living in Kosovo, at all times and impartially”.

“We have a flexible, adaptable and visible presence on the ground, enabling us to tackle any security challenge, in line with our UN mandate.”

When asked by KoSSev to comment on the allegations that the President of Serbia is planning an invasion supported by the President of Russia, KFOR said again that they would not “speculate on any hypothetical scenario”.

“KFOR’s role is to help maintain a safe and secure environment for all people and communities in Kosovo, in accordance with our United Nations mandate,” they reiterate.

From this mission, they also say that they communicate regularly and transparently with all international and local actors, reported KoSSev.

“We have made it a priority to foster communication and coordination based on trust,” they point out.

They repeated that they are in close contact with the Serbian Chief of Defense, as well as with the institutions and security organizations in Kosovo.

“This is important to avoid misunderstandings, especially in times of crisis and when tensions are high.”

From this mission, there was no concrete answer to the question about the statements of the PM of Kosovo, that “Serbia built operational bases around the border in the shape of a horseshoe for the defense of Belgrade and the attack on Kosovo”? Their answer was: 

“We continue to closely monitor the situation and work in partnership with local and international authorities to ensure stability and prevent escalation, while continuing to fulfill our UN mandate, at all times and impartially.”

They say that the situation in the North of Kosovo, as well as in other parts of Kosovo, is calm, but still fragile, pointing out that they are certainly closely following it. 

“We closely monitor all relevant security situations, including in the North of Kosovo, through a visible and flexible attitude, with regular patrols and engagement with local communities,” KFOR stated.

The N. Macedonia government to reconsider its participation in the Open Balkans, due to new information on Banjska (KiM radio, Beta)

The Head of Diplomacy of North Macedonia, Bujar Osmani, announced that he will present new information about the events in Banjska at a closed session of the Government of North Macedonia, reported KiM radio last night. 

Osmani emphasized that during the session a decision should be made on North Macedonia’s further participation in the “Open Balkans” initiative.

The North Macedonia Foreign Minister pointed out that after the incident in Banjska, he did not participate in the work of the “Open Balkans”, an initiative which, in his opinion, had noble goals.

Osmani recalled that after the attack in Banjska, he declared that it was against the basic idea of the initiative – reconciliation, and that if there is direct involvement of Serbia in those events, the participation in the “Open Balkans” should be reconsidered.

“Since I now have more information about what happened in Banjska, I plan to inform the Government about it in a closed session, and the Government will decide how to proceed,” said Osmani among other things.

International Media 

Kosovo says 10 of its police officers detained in Serbia (Reuters) 

Kosovo said 10 off-duty police officers were detained on Wednesday in Serbia for questioning, including a deputy police commander, while passenger buses using Serbian territory as transit were halted for hours. 

“Ten Kosovo police officers, Albanians and Serbs, have been detained at border crossings…five of them have been released and five are still in custody,” Kosovo’s Interior Ministry said in a statement. 

Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/yx9u9uux 

Serbia angry after Kosovo gets closer to joining Council of Europe (euronews)

Kosovo took another step towards becoming a member of the CoE as its members passed a report recommending approval.

The parliamentary assembly of the Council of Europe, a European human rights body, has recommended that Kosovo become a member of the Council of Europe in a historic vote. 131 members voted for Kosovo’s accession, with 29 voting against and 11 abstaining from the vote. Predictably, Serbian officials have taken issue with the recommendation. 

Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/32hc2war 

Kosovo Calls on Citizens to Avoid Serbia Travel Amid Reported Border Blockage (Prishtina Insight)

Kosovo advises its citizens to avoid traveling through Serbia “at all costs” after its Liaisons’ office in Serbia reported that around 300 people in four buses from Kosovo were blocked at midnight at the Serbia-Croatia border crossing in Batrovci, which Serbia denies.

The Kosovo Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora and the Ministry of Internal Affairs called on Wednesday for Kosovo citizens to avoid Serbian border crossings at all costs. The call comes after reports that Kosovo citizens are being blocked at Serbia’s border crossings. 

Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/mwv8ysjb

“Blood Awaits Justice”: Kosovo Man Recalls Finding 53 Massacred Family Members (Prishtina Insight)

The museum is not enough. Fadil Muqolli wakes up every day with the internal struggle to seek justice for the family members who were killed by Serbian forces in the 1998/1999 war. The blood is shed, but justice is still elusive.

Fadil Muqolli, 55, has eyes full of pain, longing and anticipation. Muqolli held back tears as he spoke with BIRN about his discovery, 25 years ago, of the burnt corpses of family members, including his mother, father, children, wife, and siblings, who had been killed and burned in the massacre of Poklek in Drenas. 

“I have not gotten out of this event in 25 years,” Muqolli told BIRN, reminiscing about his inability to “be the parent my children deserve”.  

Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/2k4tjksr