UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, July 9, 2025

Albanian Language Media:

Kurti calls for thorough investigations into 27-year-old’s death in Lipjan (media)
Gruda: On behalf of PDK, I call for Xhelal Svecla’s resignation (Nacionale)
MPs fail to constitute Assembly even after 44 attempts (media)
Limaj: July 27 doesn’t solve anything, the solution is political (AP)
Basha: We offered them solutions, but they are refusing (media)
Haradinaj: Kurti doesn’t have political majority, doesn’t want to make it (media)

Serbian Language Media:

Vucic met Jenca: For Serbia, UN a guarantor of the preservation of sovereignty and territorial integrity (Tanjug, RTS, Kosovo Online, media)
Djuric with Jenca on the situation in Kosovo, UNMIK and Pristina's unilateral moves (Tanjug, Kosovo Online)
Serbian List: Citizens clearly said no to Kurti's bridges of division (Tanjug, media)
Emergency Management Agency: 41 fires yesterday, 14 more active today (Radio Mitrovica sever)
Serbian Democracy filed a complaint with the Ombudsman for targeting and repression (Radio Mitrovica sever, KoSSev)
Surlic: Quite a “creative approach” by the Constitutional Court of Kosovo, new decision could paralyze the parliament (Kosovo Online)
Residents and a nun from Gorioč saved homes from fire in the Valley of Osojane (KiM radio)

International:

Legal limbo: Lack of documents leaves Kosovo’s Roma fearing eviction (BIRN)
Kosovo Ombudsperson probes police brutality claims after man’s death (BIRN)
Construction in mountain resort after ‘Kallxo Përnime’ report (PI)

Albanian Language Media

Kurti calls for thorough investigations into 27-year-old’s death in Lipjan (media)

All news websites report that Kosovo’s caretaker Prime Minister Albin Kurti has called for thorough and swift investigations into the death of 27-year-old Agon Zejnullahu in Lipjan, a case in which five police officers were involved. “First of all, I want to express my condolences to the Zejnullahu family for their most loved one, the deceased Agon Zejnullahu. The news of his passing shocked us all. Much of what happened at midnight on July 7 is now public and thanks to video recordings by witnesses. But in order to understand what happened a professional investigation by institutions is required. For this, the cooperation between the Kosovo Police and cooperation between the Kosovo Police Inspectorate and the Prosecution is crucial. Five police officers are now in detention. I call for and expect a thorough and swift investigation that will reveal the whole truth and resolve all circumstances so that justice is served and accountability secured. There will be no shelter in the institutions or by the institutions for anyone that may have exceeded competencies or violated the law while on duty,” he said.

Kurti also said that the tendency to start an anti-campaign against the Kosovo Police is detrimental and is not the solution. “Ongoing public discussions and public trials are difficult for the Zejnullahu family and their friends. The tendency to start an anti-campaign against the police is detrimental and is not the solution. Calls for justice and accountability are right, but they are realized with the full results of investigations. Only then can we make sure that institutional accountability becomes a response to the case and a guarantee that similar situations never happen again,” he said.

Gruda: On behalf of PDK, I call for Xhelal Svecla’s resignation (Nacionale)

MP from the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) Perparim Gruda said today that on behalf of this party he is calling for the resignation of caretaker Minister of Interior Affairs Xhelal Svecla following the death of a 27-year-old in Lipjan. “In my name and that of the PDK I want to express condolences for the passing of Agon Zejnullahu. I express my condolences to the family, friends and all those that knew him. I also call for responsibility by the state mechanisms to resolve the whole truth behind this tragic event that has shocked us all. Also on behalf of the PDK I call for the resignation of the caretaker Minister of Interior Affairs, as an undisputed moral act of his political and legal responsibility,” he said.

MPs fail to constitute Assembly even after 44 attempts (media)

Kosovo Assembly MPs failed to constitute the Assembly even after 44 attempts. There were 101 MPs present at the Assembly, while 55 of them voted in favor.

Opposition MPs delivered several speeches before the session was adjourned. PDK MP Artan Behrami called for respecting the Constitutional Court’s ruling and returning to an open vote. His remarks were immediately interrupted.

LDK MP Paris Guri also tried to speak but was interrupted by LVV MPs. He repeatedly demanded that Fitore Pacolli “return the 200,000 euros she stole.”

AAK MP Time Kadrijaj stated that Albin Kurti must unblock the situation.

Limaj: July 27 doesn’t solve anything, the solution is political (AP)

NISMA leader Fatmir Limaj told reporters today that July 27 is not the deadline to form the new Kosovo Assembly and that he has a different interpretation of the ruling of the Constitutional Court from what has been said so far. “I don’t see July 27 the way that others see it, I see it differently. The Constitutional Court has not said this. My interpretation of that date is completely different. The Constitutional Court, in my opinion, has left room for the process to be linked with a political solution. I think that in this respect the Constitutional Court has called on us to find a political solution this month,” he said.

Limaj said that “we are engaged every day to find a solution and I hope that we will find it. I believe that after all interpretations of the ruling of the Constitutional Court have been consumed, now everyone has understood that this issue, as it was from the beginning, can be resolved only through political actions. There is no other way except for a political agreement”.

Basha: We offered them solutions, but they are refusing (media)

Vetevendosje Movement MP Dimal Basha, has said that opposition MPs are violating the rules for the debate in the constitutive session. He said that the Constitutional Court in its ruling said that MPs must be present to vote or abstain, leaving them with two forms of voting, secret or open. According to him, the same continue to hold positions despite the Constitutional Court’s decision. “There were offers for technical agreements, but they said they don’t want to. We offered political agreements, open voting, secret voting, they said they do not want to. It is unacceptable that they are keeping this process locked,” he said.

Haradinaj: Kurti doesn’t have political majority, doesn’t want to make it (media)

Leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) Ramush Haradinaj said today that Kosovo’s caretaker Prime Minister Albin Kurti does not want to create a majority in the Assembly. “We are hostages of the Vetevendosje Movement and Kurti. He doesn’t have the political majority; he doesn’t have to create it. The secret vote committee was done without an agreement in the Assembly, the President said this too. We want to return to a constitutional path. He is keeping us hostage and he has decided to damage Kosovo,” Haradinaj told reporters after another failed attempt today to form the new Kosovo Assembly.

Serbian Language Media

Vucic met Jenca: For Serbia, UN a guarantor of the preservation of sovereignty and territorial integrity (Tanjug, RTS, Kosovo Online, media)

The President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, met with the Assistant Secretary General of the UN for Europe, Miroslav Jenca, and pointed out that the UN is Serbia's guarantor of preserving sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Vucic emphasized in an Instagram post, the importance of the UNMIK mission in Kosovo and the role of the UN Office in Belgrade, which, as he stated, represents the main channel of communication between Serbia and the UN system.

"I expressed my gratitude for the cooperation so far, and Serbia's readiness to continue contributing to international peace through participation in peacekeeping missions, as well as to remain strongly committed to the principles of the UN Charter. I also reiterated Serbia's position on the necessity of respecting UN Security Council Resolution 1244 and preserving the presence of UNMIK on the ground, in full capacity and with an unchanged mandate," Vucic pointed out.

He pointed out that Serbia remains a reliable partner of the UN, consistently respecting the principles of international law.

"Not only for itself, but also in the name of all those who believe in the power of justice, peace and equality between countries," concluded the President of Serbia.

Djuric with Jenca on the situation in Kosovo, UNMIK and Pristina's unilateral moves (Tanjug, Kosovo Online)

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Serbia, Marko Djuric, spoke today with the Assistant Secretary General of the United Nations for Europe, Central Asia and the Americas, Miroslav Jenca, about relations in the region, the situation in Kosovo, and current international issues.

Djuric emphasized the good cooperation with "the United Nations team in our country and underlined the importance of the role of the UN in order to preserve the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Republic of Serbia".

Djuric said that Serbia remains strongly committed to multilateralism and the goals and principles of the UN Charter, which it considers the most important foundations of international relations and the key prerequisites for achieving the Charter's main goal of preserving international peace and security.

He also emphasized that the presence of UNMIK is essential for the preservation of peace, stability and security of the Serbian and non-Albanian population in Kosovo.

The head of Serbian diplomacy pointed to ''a series of unilateral acts by Pristina, which most grossly violate basic human rights and carry out physical and institutional violence against Serbs, including increasingly frequent arrests of Serbs, without a valid basis and without transparent procedures, with the aim of intimidating and completely pushing the Serbian community out of Kosovo. He also pointed to the beginning of the construction of two new bridges on the Ibar, which means that the authorities in Pristina are increasing the direct threat to the majority Serbian population in the north".

When it comes to the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Djuric said that Serbia firmly supports the Dayton Peace Agreement, which represents the foundation of the constitutional order of BiH and is the guarantor of peace and stability.

Speaking about the situation in the region, Djuric pointed out that ''certain statements and actions of officials from the surrounding area go in the opposite direction of European values and that more political responsibility in the regional discourse is necessary''.

The minister reiterated the position that Serbia is committed to strengthening stability in the region and cooperation based, above all, on economic and infrastructural development, with full commitment to the reconciliation process.

Djuric concluded that Serbia will continue to cooperate with the United Nations within all forums and missions that contribute to the preservation of peace, rights and stability in the region, and provide a continuous contribution to collective security through participation in peace operations around the world.

Serbian List: Citizens clearly said no to Kurti's bridges of division (Tanjug, media)

The Serbian list (SL) announced that the collection of signatures for the petition against the construction of the Kurti Bridges on the Ibar River, which the Serbian people rightly perceive as a symbol of imposition, division and provocation, has been successfully completed.

The SL pointed out that "in only 11 hours, which was the duration of the organized collection, 3,628 citizens supported the clear position of opposition to the arbitrary and unilateral decision of Pristina with their signatures".

"This number of signatures in such a short period of time represents a strong and unequivocal signal - the people are against the imposition and politics of force. On this occasion, Serbian List sincerely thanks all citizens who showed responsibility, unity and willingness to stand up for their city, their community and the right to be consulted on decisions that concern their lives," said the SL.

According to the SL, in the coming days the petition will be officially handed over to the representatives of the Quint countries, the KFOR mission, the EULEX mission, the European Union, OSCE and UNMIK, with a request for: an immediate and clear reaction to the behavior of the institutions in Pristina, the suspension of the construction of bridges without consultation with the Serbian people and respect for basic democratic and international legal principles.

"The Serbian people are not against development and infrastructure, but they are against decisions that are made without them and against the policy whose goal is to erase its existence in these areas," concluded the Serbian List.

Emergency Management Agency: 41 fires yesterday, 14 more active today (Radio Mitrovica sever)

Yesterday a total of 41 fires were registered in the territory of Kosovo. Of these, 14 are still active, the Emergency Management Agency announced.

Active hot spots were recorded in the municipalities of South Mitrovica, Srbica, Urosevac, Istok, Pec and Djakovica.

Pristina media report that the Agency has announced that units of firefighters and rescuers are on the ground, and that with the support of the Kosovo Police, citizens, volunteers and municipal structures, they are working to extinguish the fire.

The agency urges citizens to avoid lighting fires in the open and to immediately report any suspicion of arson.

Yesterday afternoon, a fire broke out in Veliko Rudare, near Zvecan. The fire engulfed the vegetation opposite the City Cemetery. There were no injuries, and the damage was caused to the dining hall across the street from the Chapel and to some cars that were parked not far from there.

The large fire also broke out in the afternoon yesterday, according to media reports, in the mountainous area near Devic Monastery and was successfully localized thanks to the quick and coordinated reaction of several institutions, including KFOR, the KP announced on FB.

Serbian Democracy filed a complaint with the Ombudsman for targeting and repression (Radio Mitrovica sever, KoSSev)

The Serbian Democracy party yesterday sent an official complaint to the Ombudsman Institution regarding, as they pointed out, the increasingly frequent public targeting by representatives of the authorities, as well as police repression aimed at party members and leadership.

The party stated that numerous physical attacks on members, public targeting by public office holders, as well as police harassment, in recent period apprehensions and arrests have been recorded.

Incidents such as kidnapping, violent removal of t-shirts with the image of the President of the Serbian Democracy and tearing of t-shirts with an article of the Constitution of Kosovo were also recorded.

They added that in accordance with this development, the complaint emphasized that basic democratic rights have been grossly violated - freedom of political action, association and peaceful assembly, guaranteed by laws and international standards.

Serbian Democracy called on the Ombudsman to respond urgently and publicly to stop further targeting of the party, president, leadership and members by government institutions and the Kosovo police.

A request was also sent to the Ombudsman to take all the necessary steps to stop the politically motivated police repression that has been going on since the founding of the party, and which further intensified in recent weeks.

Surlic: Quite a “creative approach” by the Constitutional Court of Kosovo, new decision could paralyze the parliament (Kosovo Online)

Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Political Sciences in Belgrade, Stefan Surlic, assessed that the Constitutional Court of Kosovo has so far had “quite a creative approach” to resolving the institutional crisis, and that a possible new decision could lead to paralysis in the formation of parliament.

“This would lead to even greater paralysis of the process because the idea of secret voting exists precisely because the Self-Determination Movement hopes that through some secret agreements it can secure a sufficient majority and have their nominated candidate elected as Speaker of the Assembly. If the entire procedure is sent back to the beginning, that essentially means the process could go on indefinitely and there may be an interpretation that this restarts a new 30-day period that must elapse. Of course, we are entering a legal gray area, but even so far, the Constitutional Court itself has taken quite a creative approach in its interpretations and has drawn conclusions that are not really based on the letter of the Constitution or the law,” Surlic told Kosovo Online.

Hence, in his view, the new initiatives for assessing constitutionality are entering an “undefined” space.

“We are entering a completely undefined space where, above all, it depends on political pressure what the final decision will be,” Surlic believes.

He is convinced that this would also mean “buying time” for the opposition.

“A return to the beginning and nullification of this commission would simultaneously mean buying time for the opposition to obstruct Self-Determination,” Surlic emphasized.

Residents and a nun from Gorioč saved homes from fire in the Valley of Osojane (KiM radio)

In the big fire that broke out two days ago in Osojanska dolina (Valley of Osojane), four houses and large areas of wheat and low vegetation burned down. Although the firefighters could not react immediately because they were engaged in other locations in the municipality of Istok, thanks to the quick and brave reaction of the inhabitants of the surrounding villages, as well as the nun Kasijana from the Gorioc monastery, the fire was prevented from spreading to even more houses and properties, reported KiM radio.

One of the first to notice the fire was Miloš Popovic from the returnee village of Koš. He was on his way to Osojane with his friend when he noticed the fire that was already engulfing the house of Bane Djuric.

"I was coming from the village towards Osojane and saw that Bane Djuric's house was on fire. We couldn't save it because it was completely burnt down in 15 minutes," said Milos, adding that they immediately moved on to Tučep, because they heard that the fire had also affected other houses.

"Sister Kasijana from the Gorioč monastery appeared there and helped us. We tried to save the house of Dragan Rapanovic, but we failed. The firefighters could not come because they were already engaged in other locations in the municipality of Istok. However, we managed to prevent the fire from spreading to one house, thanks to the youth who gathered in large numbers," Popovic points out.

According to Djuric’s testimony the fire was caused by bad electrical installations and the wind, which contributed to the rapid spread of the fire.

"Wheat started to burn, and then the fire spread to Sonja Vukovic's house. People immediately came to help, and I was most moved by the courage of nun Kasijana, who walked straight into the fire. I was amazed. I said to myself - if she sacrifices herself like this for our village, we have no excuse. We have to push to the end," said Danilo.

He added that the nun's presence in those moments was not only physical, but also deeply symbolic.

"You know, when you see a spiritual person, a woman, a nun fearlessly entering the flames to help, it gives you strength. Her gesture awakened something in all of us - a sense of community, responsibility. It's a support that you can't measure with words," said Djuric.

Unfortunately, the damage is great – properties, wheat ready for harvest and homes were burnt. According to the locals, the fires evoked traumatic memories from 1999, although this time they were not caused by violence.

"It was burning in 1999, and now again. My sister said that the feeling is not much different - you lose again, you watch helplessly again. You watch the whole field that you worked hard to burn - it hurts. All the effort is gone in a few minutes," concluded Djuric.

In addition to the numerous fires in Kosovo, around two hectares of wheat belonging to the Popovic family burned down in the village of Šaljinovica yesterday.

International

Legal limbo: Lack of documents leaves Kosovo’s Roma fearing eviction (BIRN)

Many Roma families who live in informal settlements in Kosovo lack official documents showing they have a right to live in their homes, causing them to worry constantly that they might be moved on.

Mane Hajredini returned to her birthplace in the Roma settlement in the Fidanishte neighbourhood of South Mitrovica almost 20 years ago, after being displaced during the 1999 Kosovo war, having her home burned down and spending six years in two UN refugee camps next to disused heavy metal mines in the north of the city.

In 2005, her fortunes looked up when her house was among the 288 homes in the long-established informal settlement that was rebuilt with the support of foreign donors.

But because her home was never registered in the property cadastre – due to the cost and bureaucracy of the system – her title to the property remains insecure and she lives in constant fear that she will be moved on once again.