OSCE supports integration of Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian communities

(RTK1)

On Tuesday, the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, in co-operation with the Office of Good Governance and Human Rights, hosted a workshop in which the final draft of the 2017–2021 strategy for the inclusion of Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian communities was presented.

Strategy for inclusion of Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian communities is ranked among the continuous objectives of the Government in order to strengthen Kosovo’s multi-ethnic and multi-cultural character, RTK1 reported.

In order to achieve these objectives, the final plan for implementation of 2017–2021 strategy was presented.

The strategy focuses on four main areas: education, employment and social welfare, health, and housing.

Stefano Gnocchi, Adviser on Political Affairs/Communities to EUSR said that integration in the EU is facilitated by the fulfillment of the rights of all communities, emphasizing in this regard, the important role of civil society, institutions and the OSCE.

Habit Hajredini, Head of the Office of Good Governance said that the support for integration of Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian communities with regard to the four main objectives was constant.

Isak Skenderi, an activist of civil society, said that institutions should demonstrate a political will to implement the strategy and allocate the  adequate budget to implement the affirmative measures.

Hahn: Early elections will not solve conditions set by the EU

(RTK)

Johannes Hahn, Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations expressed his hope that the agreement on telecommunication will trigger new dynamic in the dialogue between Prishtinë/Pristina and Belgrade, the online version of RTK reported.

Commenting the agreement on border demarcation with Montenegro Han said that this is a difficult situation that this is being connected with early elections.

“There is no progress. They believe that it is a mistake or that early elections could change the situation. Elections will not change structural problems or solve conditions set by the EU” said Hahn.

Commissioner Hahn said that Kosovo has already fulfilled 93 out of the 95 visa liberalization conditions but emphasized that there are two more conditions that must be fulfilled, including border demarcation with Montenegro.

Implementation of agreement on vehicle plates postponed

(Most monitored broadcasters, KTV)

Implementation of the agreement on full reciprocity of vehicle plates between Kosovo and Serbia and the removal of the ‘probationary’ plates did not start on November 15 as it was planned, KTV reported.

Kosovo Minister for Dialogue, Edita Tahiri, blamed Kosovo Ministry of Internal Affairs for failing to produce the stickers for vehicle plates. “Today is the date when implementation of the agreement on reciprocity of plates had to start. And, it still has not started. The reason for this is the administrative procedure for production of these stickers, which means that time was very short for the tendering procedures that Ministry of Internal Affairs had to undergo,” Tahiri said.

She stressed that 01 December is the deadline for implementing this agreement.

Court confirms 7 years of imprisonment to Lushtaku

(All monitored broadcasters, KTV)

Skenderaj/Srbica Municipality might have early elections because the Court of Appeal sentenced the mayor of this municipality, Sami Lushtaku, to seven years of imprisonment for the commanding responsibility while he has been acquitted of murder charges for which he was sentenced to 12 years of imprisonment by the first instance.

Lushtaku’s family considered this verdict as scandalous.  Court of Appeals also sentenced the former KLA General Commander, Sylejman Selimi, to a unique imprisonment sentence of 10 years for “Drenica I” and “Drenica II” cases.

Selimi’s lawyer, Tomë Gashi considered the verdict as scandalous and called it as a political verdict of the Court of Appeals.

While, Jahir Demaku sentence was joined in “Drenica I” and “Drenica II” cases to seven years of imprisonment. The other part of the verdict has been confirmed as it was taken by Mitrovica/Mitrovicë Basic Court in 2015.

On the other hand, Associations of KLA war veterans condemned the ruling of the Court of Appeal considering it as political while Skenderaj/Srbica municipal employees announced a protest for Wednesday as a sign of protest against the court ruling.

Skenderaj/Srbica will not have early elections

(KTV)

Different from Gllogoc/Glogovac municipality, Skenderaj/Srbica municipality will not have early elections.

On Tuesday, the Court of Appeals sentenced the mayor of this municipality, Sami Lushtaku, to seven years of imprisonment for the commanding responsibility, therefore, because of this sentence it was expected that Skenderaj/Srbica will have early elections.But it will not, as, according to the President of Central Election Commission (CEC), Valdete Daka, Lushtaku is entitled to complain at the Supreme Court.

“There will be no early elections in Skenderaj/Srbica as the verdict is not final yet”, said Daka to KTV.

Schwendiman: Suspected criminals are the target, not KLA 

(RTK1)

In his first interview since being appointed as chief prosecutor of the Specialist Prosecutor’s Office, David Schwendiman said that suspected criminals are his target, not the Kosovo Liberation Army itself.

“I am not after organisations, I am not after ethnicities. I am looking at individual responsibility for what was done…The court is not pro-Albanian or anti-Albanian, pro-Serb or anti-Serb, but we are just doing our job.”

Schwendiman is the chief prosecutor at the new Kosovo Specialist Prosecutor’s Office, set up in The Hague with the mandate to prosecute crimes by former Kosovo Liberation Army fighters from 1998 until 2000.

EULEX temporarily suspends search for mass grave in Mitrovica/Mitrovicë north

(Klan Kosova)

European rule of law mission in Kosovo (EULEX) cannot operate in Mitrovica/Mitrovicë north, Klan Kosova reported. Claiming the lack of security for its staff, EULEX gave up the announced excavations in a suspected mass grave location in Ibër Mosque.

Excavations were planned to commence on Tuesday and the announcement for cancelation irritated the families of missing persons.

EULEX Spokesperson, Besa Domi, without providing additional details, confirmed through email that “the Mission has temporarily suspended the excavations because of the security concerns for its staff”.

Ymeri calls for international investigation on Astrit Dehari’s case

(KTV –Rubikon)

Vetëvendosje Movement (VV) chairperson Visar Ymeri, in an interview for KTV show ‘Rubicon’ spoke about the death of VV activist Astrit Dehari in the Detention Centre in Prizren.

“Kosovo citizens are angry and at the same time demand accountability over this death. The state has its responsibility regardless of the fact how Astrit died. The first responsibility is the political one,” stressed Ymeri.

Ymeri said that a group within Kosovo Police is involved in the case of Astrit Dehari, while he called the Director of Kosovo Police, Shpend Maxhuni as a close person of Elmi Reçica.

“We should take into consideration that after the autopsy results and the discussions with doctors, it has been proved that Astrit Dehari suffered a violent death,” said Ymeri, adding that he and Astrit’s family will not accept the results of local investigators on Dehari’s death. “Astrit’s family does not trust these investigations,” said Ymeri.

Ymeri said that they would consider international investigations as credible only if it has investigators from abroad, i.e from Germany or Finland. “It is essential for the investigator not to be influenced from ‘Pronto’ clan. Unfortunately, EULEX does not look like it’s not under the influence of this clan,” he said.

He emphasized that so far there are no credible evidence against the six VV activists including Astrit Dehari.

“Evidences published so far do not demonstrate any link between activists and the case. None of the evidences are credible. Clearly these institutions show that they are captured,” said Ymeri.

Among other topics, Ymeri also spoke about the demarcation with Montenegro. He stressed that the current version of the Agreement on Demarcation is ‘dead and cannot be restored anymore.”

“I believe that through a political will, initially from Kosovo institutions and followed by the Montenegrin ones, a new agreement on the demarcation could be achieved”, said Ymeri.

Ymeri also commented the recent agreement on dial code between Kosovo and Serbia, considering it as a hoax.