Albanian Language Media:

 

• Osmani seeks Germany’s support for Kosovo’s Euro-Atlantic integration (media)
• Kurti, German official discuss disinformation and regional challenges (media)
• Kurti: Serbia is spreading false messages against Kosovo worldwide (media)
• Kurti does not answer whether he will respect Constitutional Court’s decision (ekonomia)
• Osmani calls for urgent action by law enforcement and judiciary in Gjilan murders case (media)
• Court: Mefail Shkodra has no active cases, was convicted three times in the past (media)
• Haxhiu: Path toward strengthening Rule of Law is unstoppable despite delays (media)
• U.S. soldiers and Kosovo Police conduct "Combat Life Saver" training (Reporteri)
• Police uses firearm to stop suspicious vehicle in Leposaviq (Klan)

Serbian Language Media:

• Vucevic on elections (Blic, TV Prva, NMagazin)
• Serbian Democracy: Kosovo police proved that they are implementing a policy of intimidation (Radio Mitrovica sever, KiM radio)
• Lawyer Vasic: Miladinovic questioned as a witness, the police officers could be prosecuted for using weapons (Kosovo Online)
• Drecun: Continuity in terrorizing Serbs in Kosovo, the goal is to complete the ethnic cleansing (Tanjug, RTS)
• LDK, PDK and experts on the case of Judge Laban and the decision of the Constitutional Court - Haxhiu and Osmani under fire of criticism (KoSSev)
• Kharchenko: We hope that Vucic has solved the problem with ammunition for Ukraine (NMagazin, Beta, Danas, Politika)
• Vucic says Novi Sad residents harbor anti-Serb sentiments (N1)
• Students in blockade: The SNS facade farce aims to create divisions and convenient enemies (NMagazin, Beta)

International:

• ‘Constant War’: Kosovo’s documentary festival addresses age of conflict (Balkan Insight)

Albanian Language Media

Osmani seeks Germany’s support for Kosovo’s Euro-Atlantic integration (media)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani met with the Director for the Western Balkans to discuss Kosovo’s international integration. She emphasized the need for continued German support, especially for Kosovo’s membership in the Council of Europe and NATO. Osmani stressed that NATO membership would enhance regional and European security. On the EU-facilitated dialogue with Serbia, she called for clear objectives and mutual recognition. She also urged the removal of “unjust measures against Kosovo” and highlighted Germany’s potential role. Both sides agreed to strengthen bilateral cooperation through ongoing high-level engagement.

Kurti, German official discuss disinformation and regional challenges (media)

Caretaker Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, met with Michael Reiffenstuel, Director for the Western Balkans at Germany’s Foreign Ministry, during a dinner hosted by the German Ambassador to Kosovo, Jorn Rohde. Discussions focused on strengthening bilateral relations, with particular attention to economic cooperation, foreign investment, and European integration. 

Kurti highlighted Kosovo's positive economic performance in the first half of the year and reaffirmed the government's commitment to minority rights and well-being. He also raised concerns about the harmful effects of disinformation and fake news on democratic institutions. Kurti expressed gratitude to Germany for its ongoing support of Kosovo.

Kurti: Serbia is spreading false messages against Kosovo worldwide (media)

Kosovo’s caretaker Prime Minister, Albin Kurti, speaking at the 8th edition of the Conference of Ambassadors, stated that Serbia’s ongoing efforts to undermine the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Kosovo continue to pose a threat to national security. "With millions spent on lobbying and international communication, Serbia's propaganda war, in close cooperation with the Russian Federation, is intensifying day by day, spreading false messages against our Republic," Kurti said.

Kurti has called on Kosovo’s diplomatic representatives to work in full harmony and in close coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, in order to advance Kosovo’s interests on the international stage. “This wide distribution of diplomatic missions represents both an advantage and a challenge. The advantage is that it allows our state to have 53 strong voices across the world, pushing forward the most important interests of Kosovo and its citizens. The main challenge is how to ensure that these voices do not operate independently of one another, but in complete harmony, like a single choir, with the minister here in Pristina acting as the conductor,” Kurti stated.

Kurti does not answer whether he will respect Constitutional Court’s decision (ekonomia)

Caretaker Prime Minister Albin Kurti did not respond to journalists’ questions about whether he will respect the Constitutional Court’s ruling regarding the constitution of the Assembly of Kosovo. Kurti stated he did not have time to give a statement, citing that he had another meeting. Questions were made as he left the Conference of Ambassadors.

Osmani calls for urgent action by law enforcement and judiciary in Gjilan murders case (media)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani has expressed deep sorrow over the tragic killing of three people in Gjilan, extending her sincere condolences to the victims' families. She has called on the relevant institutions to urgently apprehend the perpetrators of this horrific crime and ensure they face full legal accountability. “It is regrettable that these same individuals were released by the justice system last year after spending only a short time in pre-trial detention, despite being charged with serious crimes,” the President stated.

She also voiced concern about the deliberate misinformation being spread by using incidental public photos of the perpetrator alongside public figures. “A simple review reveals these images were taken during a festive event hosted by the Embassy of the Republic of Albania in Kosovo, a public occasion attended by institutional representatives, political figures, invited guests, and citizens. Throughout the year, the President appears in photos with thousands of citizens and event attendees, people she does not know and cannot possibly be aware of their personal backgrounds. Therefore, any insinuations of alleged “association” are nothing more than slander.”

The President once again urged law enforcement and judicial authorities to act in accordance with the law so that the murderer receives the deserved punishment.

Court: Mefail Shkodra has no active cases, was convicted three times in the past (media)

The Basic Court in Gjilan has confirmed that Mefail Shkodra, the main suspect in the recent triple murder in Gjilan, had no active cases at the time of the incident, but had previously been convicted three times in separate criminal cases. According to the court's statement, Shkodra was found guilty and sentenced in 2011 for causing general danger; in 2014 for theft of municipal services; and in 2018 for unauthorized possession or control of weapons. All these cases were concluded with convictions.

Meanwhile, the two other suspects, Edonis Shkodra and Engjull Shkodra, have no prior criminal records and no registered or pending cases in the Basic Court of Gjilan.

Haxhiu: Path toward strengthening Rule of Law is unstoppable despite delays (media)

Caretaker Minister of Justice, Albulena Haxhiu, criticized the former opposition for consistently obstructing key reforms in Kosovo’s justice system. She claimed they used constitutional mechanisms to delay progress, including challenging constitutional amendments for the vetting process, reforms to the Prosecutorial Council, and the law on the establishment of the Bureau for Confiscation of Unjustified Assets, all of which were taken to the Constitutional Court multiple times.

Haxhiu acknowledged that Vetevendosje, while in opposition, also submitted cases to the Constitutional Court but argued that these were limited to issues considered harmful to Kosovo, such as the Special Court, the Association of Serb Municipalities, the Amnesty Law for Serbian criminals, and the Montenegro border demarcation.

Despite delays, she affirmed that reforms have moved forward. The vetting process has been approved, the Prosecutorial Council reform has been enacted, and the Bureau for Asset Confiscation is in its final stages of review at the Constitutional Court. Haxhiu concluded that, although there have been efforts to block these processes, the path toward strengthening the rule of law in Kosovo remains irreversible.

U.S. soldiers and Kosovo Police conduct "Combat Life Saver" training (Reporteri)

Soldiers from the U.S. Armed Forces’ medical and maneuver battalions, assigned to the Regional Command-East of NATO’s KFOR mission, in cooperation with the Kosovo Police, conducted a five-day Combat Life Saver training course at Camp Belvedere in Kosovo. According to a post on Facebook, such training initiatives enhance tactical medical readiness and strengthen professional relationships between NATO forces and local security institutions, a key factor in building long-term security and stability in the region.

Police uses firearm to stop suspicious vehicle in Leposaviq (Klan)

Kosovo Police have reported that during a joint patrol with KFOR in Leposaviq, a border police unit attempted to stop a suspicious vehicle without license plates, carrying two individuals. The suspects tried to evade the stop. One of the suspects was apprehended but refused to comply with police orders. As a result, a police officer used his firearm to force the vehicle to stop. The use of the weapon did not cause any injuries, the police report confirms. The incident has been reported to the Police Inspectorate of Kosovo (IPK), while a competent judge has ordered ordered the issuance of two summonses.

Serbian Language Media 

Vucevic on elections (Blic, TV Prva, NMagazin)

Milos Vucevic, speaking about the elections, told TV Prva that Vucic attended the meeting of the SNS board in Novi Sad yesterday and that he spoke on that topic.

The president of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) and adviser to the President of the Republic for regional issues, Milos Vucevic, said today that the party's idea is to hold the elections at the end of 2026, but that the authorities will make the decision.

- Yesterday, President Aleksandar Vucic joined us at the Novi Sad board meeting. Our idea is for the elections to be held at the end of 2026, but that is up to the authorities to decide. It will be a tough game; it is certain that the list of blockaders is at an advantage. They will certainly be at an advantage. Whether Djilas (president of the Freedom and Justice Party) is on the list or not, he will de facto be there, because they have to use his tools. They are all one corp. They are de facto of the same policy, and it is impossible to separate them. They are all the same. It's the same, whether you talk about Gruhonjic and Lompar - Vucevic told TV Prva.

NMagazin reported that Vucevic said that from Vucic’s presentation “we understood that it is possible for the elections to take place in a shorter period of time compared to what the party had projected”. 

He pointed out that "he is impatiently waiting for the rally in Novi Sad and that there is a lot more talk about whether SNS can organize a rally in that city or not".

- I am impatiently waiting for the meeting in Novi Sad, although it is always the most difficult to host, because there are many tasks and organizational obligations. We are ready to be the host, and enough about whether we can make a rally or not. We also made it when we were the opposition. We don't prevent anyone from gathering, we just won't allow anyone to touch our people and touch our premises - said Vucevic.

Serbian Democracy: Kosovo police proved that they are implementing a policy of intimidation (Radio Mitrovica sever, KiM radio)

Serbian Democracy (SD) strongly condemned the shooting by members of the Kosovo Police on two, as they said, unarmed Serbian youths in the village of Vuca near Socanica, requesting an immediate reaction from international representatives, reported Radio Mitrovica sever. 

According to the SD party, the incident happened in the middle of the day, and the reason for what they say was a "brutal intervention" was the refusal of one of the young men to hand over his mobile phone to the police "without any court order".

"This is another in a series of evidence that the Kosovo Police implements a policy of intimidation of the Serbian community, using weapons against civilians as a method of control and a message of force. It is shameful and scandalous that in the territory where the 'rule of law' supposedly reigns, children are shot, without any threat to the lives of the police officers," the statement said.

Serbian Democracy demanded an urgent investigation by the Police Inspectorate of Kosovo with the presence of international observers, as well as the reaction of KFOR and EULEX, and assessed that it was a "gross violation of human rights and a threat to peace".

Lawyer Vasic: Miladinovic questioned as a witness, the police officers could be prosecuted for using weapons (Kosovo Online) 

Lawyer Dejan Vasic, the representative of Mladen Miladinovic, who was shot at by the Kosovo police yesterday, says that his client did not have a driver's license at the time he was stopped by the patrol, that they questioned him about the inscription on his T-shirt and that they wanted to take his phone away, because of which the young man got scared and ran away. As he added, Miladinovic was questioned last night in the police station as a witness, after which he was released.

"Yesterday in the village of Vuca in the municipality of Leposavic, Mladen Miladinovic and his friends were on a picnic. The Kosovo Police stopped them, the vehicle was driven by Mladen, and he did not have a driver's license. They began to question him about the sign he had on his T-shirt "For the Honorable Cross and Golden Freedom" and asked him what the sign meant. They then tried to take his mobile phone to examine it. He got scared because of that and started to run away. On that occasion, he heard that several shots were fired, but he does not know who did it. Fortunately, those bullets did not hit anyone, and he managed to escape. After that he called me, and I went with him to the police station. Miladinovic was informed there that he would be questioned as a witness. He is not a suspect or anything else, he was interrogated last night and was released home," said Vasic.

Vasic states that, if it is proven that the police officers used firearms without grounds, they may be subject to disciplinary or criminal prosecution, while his client retains the status of a witness in further proceedings.

"This is the third or fourth time the police have reacted here in the north of Kosovo. It also happened that the police officers were convicted or subject to disciplinary proceedings because of this. Personally, although I say I was not present, I think they should not have reacted that way," added Vasic.

Drecun: Continuity in terrorizing Serbs in Kosovo, the goal is to complete the ethnic cleansing (Tanjug, RTS)

The President of the Parliamentary Committee for Defense and Internal Affairs, Milovan Drecun, told RTS today on the occasion of yesterday's events in the village of Vuca near Leposavic, that it was evident that there was  continuity in the pressure and terrorizing of the Serbian people in Kosovo, especially in the north, and he expressed concern that this would continue because, according to him,  “Pristina's goal is to complete the ethnic cleansing of Serbs from the area of Kosovo”, reported Tanjug agency.

Drecun said that tensions in Kosovo were further raised by the arrest of the assistant director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, Igor Popovic, who, he said, was arrested for a verbal offense.

"When one of the Serbs says that there was no massacre of civilians in the village of Racak, as it was not, which was why it was removed from the indictment against Slobodan Milosevic, then they judge him. And when Albin Kurti talks about the non-existent genocide against Albanians, it is not a verbal offense. That is unacceptable,” said Drecun for RTS.

LDK, PDK and experts on the case of Judge Laban and the decision of the Constitutional Court - Haxhiu and Osmani under fire of criticism (KoSSev)

The decision of the Constitutional Court of Kosovo, which confirmed that the President of the Assembly must be elected by public and not secret voting, and which determined that the chairman of the constituent session violated the Constitution, continues to cause violent political reactions. The government's attacks on Constitutional Court judge Radomir Laban, which the opposition and part of the professional public consider to be hypocritical and dangerous for the institutions, are particularly targeted, KoSSev reported today. 

Doarsa Kica Xhelili: "Hypocrites!" – Two judges appointed by your votes

LDK MP, Doarsa Kica Xhelili (LDK), strongly reacted to what she called brutal attacks by members of Self-Determination against judges of the Constitutional Court.

"Hypocrites! Two of the judges who the LVV called violators of the Constitution were elected in this term - with your votes," she wrote, adding that the other judges also participated in the panels where decisions were made in favor of Self-Determination.

Kica Xhelili stressed that five judges, including Laban, "besides overthrowing the Hoti government, they voted FOR the laws of the VV, including the Law on the Prosecutorial Council, which you were bragging about - and that didn't bother you at the time."

"You claim that you had information that Laban was a spy, but that did not stop you from allowing him to decide on the judicial system. You kept silent because power was more important to you than justice. This last case did not even depend on his decision - the votes were 6:1 or 7:0. All these maneuvers to disobey the Constitution are in vain! The citizens will not forgive you!", she said.

Vlora Citaku: National security is not defended by conferences

The deputy of PDK, Vlora Citaku (PDK), addressed the outgoing Minister of Justice, Albulena Haxhiu, reminding her that she has been in power for years, and that only now, after the verdict on the constitutive session, she is reacting to the Laban case.

"Unanimously, all the judges of the Constitutional Court, including the two you voted for, concluded that the chairman of the session violated the Constitution. Any attempt to delegitimize the Constitutional Court is a call to anarchy. Where were you before? You had absolute power. National security is not defended by press conferences, but by concrete actions," Citaku wrote.

Hikmete Bajrami: You didn't protest in 2020

Another MP from the LDK, Hikmete Bajrami, said that neither Osmani nor Self-determination was bothered by the composition of the Constitutional Court when that institution overthrew the then government in 2020.

"The insane attacks you send to the courts say more about you than about them. You have been at the head of the Ministry of Justice for almost five years, and apart from the attacks - no one remembers your reforms. After Banjska, you had the opportunity to declare Srpska lista (Serbian List) as a terrorist organization, but you did not do it," she wrote.

Bajrami accused the government of wanting a Constitutional Court without a quorum and called out Haxhiu that she was rejected 48 times in a secret vote and 6 times in an open vote - she was rejected as the president of the Assembly.

Lulzim Peci: A dangerous precedent

The director of the Kosovo Institute for Politics, Research and Development, Lulzim Peci, warned that declaring someone a threat to national security by politicians, without a court decision, is a "dangerous precedent".

"You sell mistakes and failures as worn-out patriotism, and in doing so you do more damage to the country than many BIA associates. BIA associates should be prosecuted before the courts - that's how the story ends," Peci said.

Background of the case

The outgoing Minister of Justice, Abulena Haxhiu, accused Judge Laban of being an associate of the BIA and close to Milan Radoicic, recalling his 2006 verdict for bribery while he was working at the Serbian Customs.

These accusations follow a months-long institutional blockade - the Constitutional Court ruled last week that the President of the Assembly is to be elected by public vote, which prevented the multiple attempts of Self-Determination to elect Haxhiu through a secret ballot.

The opposition welcomed the decision as a way to unblock the institutions, while the government claims that the court is "inventing new rules" and "usurping the competences of the parliament".

The last attempt, as part of the professional public saw it, to dissuade the Constitutional Court from resolving the crisis was last week's decision by the President of Kosovo to withdraw her own request to the Constitutional Court.

Three days before the announcement of the court, Osmani withdrew the request addressed to this institution, stating that the reason was the appointment of Radomir Laban as judge-rapporteur, who according to security reports is considered "a risk to national security and constitutional order."

Kharchenko: We hope that Vucic has solved the problem with ammunition for Ukraine (NMagazin, Beta, Danas, Politika)

Ambassador of Russia in Serbia, Alexander Bocan-Kharchenko, assessed the relations between Serbia and Russia as "generally positive", but that there were also worrisome things, and he mentioned the situation regarding Serbian ammunition, which was arriving in Ukraine, as one of them, reported NMagazin.

"Belgrade has not joined the illegitimate measures of the European Union and has no intention of doing so. We are continuing the cooperation, which, however, is not going at the same speed as before, because the countries surrounding Serbia are mostly anti-Russian. In this sense, the sanctions are a logistical obstacle," Kharchenko said in an interview with the Politika daily and added that, regardless, the two countries are working on the economic plan.

He added that there were also worrisome things and, as an example, stated that Belgrade supported several anti-Russian resolutions in international organizations.

"There was also a situation regarding Serbian ammunition, which was arriving in the Ukrainian armed forces, which President Vucic, we hope, resolved immediately," Kharchenko said.

To the journalist's statement that Serbia has a problem with "end users", he replied that "of course, it has a problem with them, but I think that President Vucic has finally reached a solution that prevents the possibility of fraud by the so-called end users and the delivery of Serbian weapons to Ukraine".

"I am not saying that Serbia directly delivered weapons to Kiev, nor do I have such a desire," Kharchenko stressed.

"As for the color revolution in Serbia, we use the assessments of the president and other officials, based on evidence and reliable data on current events," said Kharchenko.

He added that it was also clear that people joined the protests driven by their sincere emotions after the tragedy in Novi Sad last November.

"All in all, I assume that a constructive approach will bear fruit and lead to a solution to this situation that has been going on for almost a year, and that represents a serious obstacle to the realization of socioeconomic development plans. President Vucic has already stated concrete damage in numbers," Kharchenko said.

Vucic says Novi Sad residents harbor anti-Serb sentiments (N1)

Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) activists painted the facades of apartment buildings in the Liman neighborhood of Novi Sad into the colors of the Serbian tricolor, painting over graffiti and artwork by local residents. Local people came out in force with some of them being assaulted by the SNS activists. The local residents painted over the three colors which they said were not the national tricolor but were painted to resemble the SNS logo.

Vucic told a news conference that the Liman residents “don’t like the Serbian tricolor”. “Patriots restored that red, blue and white and repainted later. They were not afraid, they were attacked,” he said.

He said that the Serbian tricolor is like red to a bull. “They hate nothing more than the Serbian tricolor,” Vucic said.

Students in blockade: The SNS facade farce aims to create divisions and convenient enemies (NMagazin, Beta)

The students in the blockade of Novi Sad faculties assessed today that painting the facades of buildings with Serbian tricolors in the Liman settlement is an action of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) which aims to "create divisions and convenient enemies".

In a post on social networks under the title "Facade farce", the students in the blockade stated that SNS "has been implementing the tactics of a 'patriotic' facade for years".

"Suspicious types gather and paint other people's property with the tricolor, trying to provoke a reaction from apartment owners or neighbors, so that they then have the ideal enemy of the 'haters of the flag and the country' of Serbia," the post read.

They estimated that it is "symptomatic" that SNS activists have been carrying out this action for years in the Liman neighborhood, one of the few parts of Novi Sad where that party is not in power in the local communities.

"They have never painted the Belgrade Waterfront in this way, nor the buildings of their business partners," stated the students in the blockade.

They urged citizens not to engage in verbal or physical arguments with SNS activists in such situations, but to take photos and videos from a safe distance.

"Keep those videos as evidence that they illegally painted other people's property. The time will come when the law will be enforced. Students and citizens are true patriots, and the SNS beaters are painters at the push of a button," stated the students in the blockade of Novi Sad faculties.

International

‘Constant War’: Kosovo’s documentary festival addresses age of conflict (Balkan Insight)

With documentaries that examine a world ravaged by war and greed - from Ukraine to Palestine and the aftermath of conflicts in Kosovo and Bosnia - DokuFest sought to offer an antidote to feelings of powerlessness in the face of horror.

The historic stone bridge in the southern Kosovo city of Prizren is more crowded than ever in the first week of August, as tourists walk across it to the old part of the town, stopping to take photos and ignoring the stray dogs and begging children passing by. 

In front of it, on another bridge looking towards Prizren’s old fortress on a nearby hill, the organisers of the international documentary and short film festival DokuFest have hung a banner with the slogan: “Power the mind, not the void.”

The slogan complements the somewhat unusual theme of this year’s DokuFest, “Endless Greed Mental Void”.

Read more at:https://tinyurl.com/y3zeycuy