Assembly adopts several laws without debate

(All monitored broadcasters, RTK2&KTV) 

Kosovo Assembly MP said yes to the law on interceptions, but only after a long debate about it.

Two PDK MPs had their own amendments for Article 5 of this Law. One of them said that interceptions are to be made for national needs, and not for intelligence structures, while the other one was that Intelligence Agency should do interceptions for national security needs. However, none of these two amendments passed and those of the Committee were voted.

Hastily and at times with little debate, they also voted visa liberalization bills, including the one on Courts, Kosovo Judicial Council, on Prosecutorial Council, State Prosecution, and compensation of crime victims. The Assembly also adopted the Law on Ombudsperson, as well as the Law on Protection from Discrimination.

Srpska List MPs used the opportunity to vote against changes in the law on courts to express their dissatisfaction, claiming that Serbian language is being inaccurately used in official documents, RTK2 reported.

The Progressive Democratic Party MP, Nenad Rasic, also voted against this law. He expects that after this act of Serb MPs, someone at the Assembly and Government will hire persons that are well-familiar with both languages, in order to avoid language mistakes in laws. 

Protests against sentencing of Drenica Group members held

(All monitored broadcasters, KTV)

Wednesday’s decisions to sentence some of the key leaders of former Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) have pushed citizens to protest.

Organized by the KLA war organizations, Skenderaj/Srbica and Gllogovc/Glogovac residents blocked for two hours Prishtinë/Pristina-Pejë/Pec highway at the village of Komoran.

They also announced another protest for Friday at Mother Theresa square in Prishtinë/Pristina.

Veseli and Pajaziti concerned about sentencing of Drenica Group members

(KTV)

Kosovo Assembly Speaker Kadri Veseli considers sentencing of Drenica Group as a bad development for Kosovo.

Aside from Veseli, PDK MP Zenun Pajaziti also raised his concern about the decision taken on Wednesday at Mitrovica Basic Court. Nevertheless, Pajaziti called on citizens to remain calm.

A day after the decision, Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) also issued a press statement.

“With full trust that KLA war just and clean, we have supported any trial process that treated our fellow combatants, confident that their innocence cannot be altered. This is what we also expect to see happen until the end of ‘Drenica Group’ process, but also in any other process or any kind of court in the future,” PDK press statement reads.

“Mothers’ Calls” is preparing book for Serbian crimes

(KTV) 

They are doing something that hardly anybody did in Kosovo. Collection of stories and testimonies about Serbian crimes is being done in Gjakovë/Djakovica. The Association of the Families of the Missing “Mothers’ Calls” has started preparations for a book which will include hundreds of witness testimonies and figures about the victims. The book is expected to be ready for publication this year. Suspects for crimes committed in Gjakovë/Djakovica are expected to be sued with the evidence collected.

Nysrete Kumnova of “Mothers’ Call” welcomes the initiative of Kosovo foreign minister, Hashim Thaçi, to sue Serbian state of genocide; however, Kumnova expresses her disappointment with what has been done so far by the institutions in documenting such crimes.

Humanitarian Law Fund representatives consider a genocide lawsuit against Serbia as a waste of time, for several reasons.

“I am not sure that Kosovo Government, or any other institution, has collected sufficient facts to accuse Serbia of genocide. We can also use the experiences of Croatia and Bosnia, which also filed lawsuit against Serbia of genocide, but the international court rebutted them,” Bekim Blakaj of HLW Kosovo stated.

Kosovo foreign minister and Deputy Prime Minister, Hashim Thaçi, once again announced the genocide lawsuit against Serbia while addressing the UN Security Council session earlier this week.

Kosovo hosts international inter-faith conference

(Most monitored broadcasters, RTK1) 

An important international conference started on Thursday in Prishtinë/Pristina. At the fourth international inter-faith conference, which will include presentations and speeches from world religious leaders, ministers and senior government officials, the Kosovo President Atifete Jahjaga stated that religion cannot be misused for any goal and that there cannot be any higher goal than promotion of peace and love toward each other.

“Our different religions must bring us together and not divide us in our daily work in building of trust among our communities, in our endeavours to change the tough past and to bring people closer to each other, to win over evil which could threaten anyone of us,” Jahjaga said.

“With continuous promotion of interfaith dialogue, we not only promote the most important value of the country, that of tolerance and understanding, but at the same time we also help the continuous endeavours to build the dialogue between different communities,” Jahjaga added. 

Jahjaga demands justice for women raped during the war

(Most monitored broadcasters, Klan Kosova)

During a meeting organized by the Lobby for Gender Equality and Kosovo Women’s Network, Kosovo President Atifete Jahjaga expressed her strong support for women raped during the war. Jahjaga, along with other women, demanded more justice saying that guilt is not upon them.

“Guilt is not upon them. Guilt lies upon those that committed these macabre acts, and only by joint work and reciprocal support we can move away the guilt from them,” President Jahjaga said.

Furthermore, Jahjaga emphasized that women education breaks the barriers for them to seek their heritage and property rights. 

Police arrests three Albanian young men in the north

(RTK2, KTV)

Three Albanian young men have been arrested in the north after a small calibre weapon and two white arms were found, said Besim Hoti – deputy regional commander for Mitrovica/Mitrovicë north.

It is reported that aim of these young men was to remove the Serbian flag from Mitrovica/Mitrovicë Castle and replace it with an Albanian one.