Headlines - 10.08.2015
Thaci: Vucic’s idea does not serve reconciliation (Koha)
The paper writes that leaders in the region have not welcomed Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic’s idea to set a joint date for commemorating the victims of the conflicts in the former Yugoslavia. Kosovo’s Principal Deputy Prime Minister, Hashim Thaci, said Vucic’s idea does not serve reconciliation and that it resembles a show. “The attempt of the Serbian leadership to rewrite history and to set a balance between those who incited, organized and carried out genocide and those who defended their homelands, is not human and does not serve the reconciliation process,” Thaci wrote on his Facebook account.

Serbia and Serbian List do not agree with Thaci (Epoka e Re)
The Serbian List and the Government of Serbia reacted to Kosovo’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hashim Thaci’s rejection of Aleksandar Vucic’s proposal for all former Yugoslavian states to have a joint mourning day. The Serbian List reminded Thaci that he is no longer Prime Minister, while Serbia’s Minister of Internal Affairs, Nebojsa Stefanovic, stated that those who reject this idea do not want reconciliation.

Kosovo should try crimes not mentioned in Marty’s report (Koha)
In a front-page story, the paper quotes international analysts as saying that Kosovo should prove it is capable of trying war crimes that the special court won’t be able to address because of time limitations. The paper recalls that the special court will have jurisdiction over crimes allegedly committed by leaders of the former Kosovo Liberation Army during the period 1998-2000. James Ker-Lindsay, senior researcher at the London School of Economics, told the paper that Kosovo should follow the example of neighbouring countries that tried crimes through their respective judicial systems. On the other hand, Alexander Borg-Olivier, an international lawyer working in Kosovo and former head of UNMIK’s Legal Office, said that the formation of the special court is a misfortune for Kosovo and that he does not expect the court to be successful.

This is who is going to investigate former commanders (Kosovapress)
David Schwendiman appears to be the person who is going to lead the prosecution at the Special Court of Kosovo, expected to start in the beginning of 2016. Schwendiman has led the EU Task Force for Dick Marty’s accusations, for more than a year. He has worked on investigation of war crimes in many parts of the world.

Salihaj: Special court will free Kosovo from the mafia (Kosova Sot)
The Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) MP, Adem Salihaj, said that that with the establishment of the special court, the citizens of Kosovo will be freed from the mafia structures and organized crime. According to him, all the criminal structures of the war and post-war period had a common place of operation, the Kosovo Information Service (SHIK). “SHIK members hold key positions within the Kosovo Police, so that’s why until now we haven’t noticed any changes there,” Salihaj added. Meanwhile, the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) MP, Rrustem Mustafa said that special court will be working more with minor criminal offences and those offences related to economic crimes that have stopped the economic and political development of Kosovo.

Janjic: 100 cases ready for special court (Zeri)
The Serb political analyst, Dusan Janjic, said that 100 cases are now ready for trial at the special court, for as he said, crimes committed by the former Kosovo Liberation Army. According to him, the first cases will be built based on Dick Marty’s report.

Protests today in Mitrovica and Pristina in support of Ivanovic (Zeri)
The paper reports that two protests will be held today in Mitrovica in support of Oliver Ivanovic and Dragan Delibasic, demanding their release on bail. The first protest will be held at 10:00 hrs in front of the court in Mitrovica North, while the second protest will be held at noon in Pristina in front of the EULEX headquarters. Ivanovic and Delibasic are being tried by the Basic Court in Mitrovica for crimes committed in April 1999 in Mitrovica South and for crimes in Mitrovica North in February 2000. Serbian media have reported that the protests in Mitrovica and Pristina are organized by citizens, intellectuals and family members of Ivanovic and Delibasic.

Without Association/Community, barricade cannot be removed (Zeri)
Unnamed Serb officials told the paper on Sunday that the removal of the barricade over the Ibar River depends exclusively on the establishment of the Association/Community of Serb-majority municipalities. The Mayor of Mitrovica South, Agim Bahtiri, too admitted that without the establishment of the Association, the barricade will not be removed. Bahtiri added that the issue has been blocked because Pristina and Belgrade have not managed to sign the agreement which includes four topics in a package: the establishment of the Association/Community of Serb-majority Municipalities, telecoms, energy and the removal of the barricade over the Ibar River. “If the agreement is reached on the package, then early October the barricade would be removed,” Bahtiri said.

Lajci: Demarcation with Montenegro should stop (Epoka e Re)
Ali Lajci, a member of the Kosovo government’s committee for demarcation of the border with Montenegro, said in an interview for the daily that the process of the demarcation of the border should be stopped. He said that Kosovo risks losing 12 thousand hectares in this process, adding that the 1974 border line has been deviated. According to him, the border line is exclusively proposed by Montenegro. Lajci assessed that Kosovo should not have approved the technical report of the government committee for demarcation and appealed to change the members of this committee and reconsider the entire process.