Different views about recent incidents against returnees in Klinë/Klina

(RTK2, Klan Kosova)

Ministry of returns is reacting strongly and considering everything as a campaign; however, victims and the police are not sharing the same opinion about the thefts that are happening in Serb houses of the municipality of Klinë/Klina. According to them, everything is related to thefts and it is not something organized against the returned Serbs.

Milijana Magic, a Serb returnee from Grapc village of Klinë/Klina said that her tractor was stolen on Saturday evening. Ms. Magic said that she saw four burglars breaking the entrance door and taking her tractor away, but she was afraid to call the police.

However, Magic does not prejudge the nationality of wrongdoers.

“I do not care whether they are Albanians or Serbs. They are nothing else, but thieves,” Magic said.

Another Serb woman, Danijela Doncic, of the neighbouring village of Binça had the same experience as Ms Magic. Although she locked the door with key, thieves burglarized her house for the seventh time on the row.

Kosovo minister for communities and return Dalibor Jevtic also expressed his concern about attacks on Serb returnees.

Through a press statement issued, Jevtic said that these actions are being carried out by an organized group with clear objectives, and that police can arrest them thanks to video footage caught by cameras.

However, the Police, who are searching for the suspects keep insisting that recent cases do not reflect the actual security situation of Serb community in Klinë/Klina.

“As far as the Serb community is concerned, starting from January this year until now we have 13 cases. On the other hand, at the majority Albanian community we have some 200 cases. The general identification of cases during 2014 was 75%, while this identification within the Serb community was 60%,” Klinë/Klina police commander Rexhë Berisha stated.

Berisha also said that police has specific projects for protection of Serb community, while patrolling in these two villages are regular.

In relation to these cases, minister for communities and return Dalibor Jevtic also met with Norwegian Ambassador to Kosovo Jan Braathu and the OSCE Ambassador Jean-Claude Schlumberger.

Establishment of Serb battalion within KSF dangerous

(KTV)

Establishment of a special army for northern Serbs would ultimately seal Kosovo’s division. This would also be a signal for an inner struggle between Kosovo Security Force (KSF) and this parallel army, military experts say.

Former KSF commander, Kadri Kastrati, says that he has left a message to his successors to be careful and never accept the idea for existence of a complete battalion with Serbs within KSF.

Kastrati said that the idea for a battalion with Serbs was given by the former minister Aleksandar Jablanovic.

Military expert Naim Maloku considers the idea dangerous.

“No one has the right to discuss something that is anti-constitutional and which de facto means territorial division of Kosovo,” Maloku said.

Maloku said that army and police should not be compared, as the first one deals with the community and the second defends state’s territorial integrity.

Kosovo Government did not confirm or deny this. KTV contacted with Government spokesperson Arban Abrashi, who recommended that questions must be addressed to KSF minister Haki Demolli. The latter said that these questions should be addressed to the KSF spokesperson.

Former KSF Commander Kastrati underlined that Serb members were positively discriminated within this Force. He said that he will never forgive former Government for not adopting the request of Serbs for reserved seats in exchange of Kosovo Armed Force (KAF) establishment.

Kroi i Vitakut Serbs disrespect agreement on houses construction

(RTK1)

Regardless of the agreement reached between Mitrovicë/Mitrovica South Mayor Agim Bahtiri and Goran Rakic, Mayor of Mitrovica/Mitrovicë North, to stop construction of houses in Kroi i Vitakut neighbourhood by both sides until 20 May, this is not being respected by Serb residents. They have used this vacuum and continued with construction of buildings.

This situation is making Albanian residents of this neighbourhood anxious. According to them, if a new agreement for resumption of houses construction is not reached until 20 May than they will take situation in their hands.

In the meantime, Mitrovicë/Mitrovica South Mayor Agim Bahtiri said that it is at the interest of both sides to reinstate normality in this neighbourhood.

Nine Kosovars killed in Macedonia, 21 arrested

(All monitored broadcasters, KTV)

According to Kosovo Police, nine Kosovo citizens have been killed in Macedonia and 21 others have been arrested. The information was given by Kosovo Police General Director Shpend Maxhuni while reporting to Assembly security committee.

Interior minister Skender Hyseni also reported along Maxhuni. Hyseni denied that police had the Kosovo Intelligence Agency report with indications that Macedonian secret service had contacted some Kosovars to construct terrorist acts in Macedonia.

Hyseni and Maxhuni responded to most of the questions by saying that they do not have much information at hand and that Macedonia was not providing them with details.

None of them could explain the raids carried out in families of the killed and arrested in relation to Kumanovo case. They were even asked if these raids were ordered by Macedonia.

Interior minister Hyseni explained that the order was given by the prosecutor, assuring the Assembly committee members that he was not aware of this, underlining that it is not a task of the minister.

The prosecutor that ordered these raids, Ali Rexha, did not want to talk to KTV about this issue. “We cannot tell you everything. The raids are related to developments within the territory of Kosovo,” Rexha told KTV briefly.

Kosovo Government was also criticized for not issuing any statement regarding the Kumanovo incident.

Bill on courts adopted in principle

(Most monitored broadcasters,KTV)

Kosovo Assembly adopted the bill on courts in principle. In relation to this topic, there was a tough debate between the Minister of Justice Hajredin Kuçi, PDK MP Xhavit Haliti and Vetëvendosje MP Albulena Haxhiu, who qualified Kosovo justice system corrupt.

Minister Kuçi, on the other hand, said that Kosovo for the first time ever is taking over its competencies from EULEX.

The bill on courts was passed in its first reading with 75 votes in favour, same as the bills on Kosovo Judiciary Council, on Kosovo Prosecutorial Council, the State Prosecutor – passed without the support of the opposition, as well as the bill on compensation of crime victims.

UK Ambassador O’Connell visits RTK

(RTK2, RTK1)

The United Kingdom Ambassador to Kosovo Ruairi O’Connell visited premises of the Kosovo public broadcaster (RTK). He was received by the RTK Director General Mentor Shala.

Shala informed the Ambassador O’Connell about developments in Radio and Television of Kosovo. According to Shala, three issues that the institutions in Kosovo must solve urgently are the issue of long-term funding for RTK, budget increase and the issue of its property.

On the other hand, the UK Ambassador outlined the importance and the role of the public broadcaster in democratic developments.

Moreover, O’Connell visited RTK2 premises, where he was also informed about the developments in this TV channel.

RTK2 Director Zarko Joksimovic said to Ambassador O’Connell that decision to establish this TV channel in Prishtinë/Pristina was a good one, adding that any attempt to relocate this TV station elsewhere would be a mistake.