Albanian Language Media:

• NATO chief to visit Kosovo on Tuesday, to meet with President Osmani (Reporteri)

• EU: Serbia violated the Ohrid Agreement (media)

• British Embassy on Kurti's failure to appear at Prosecution (Klan)

• Kosovo's CEC rejects reassessment of invalidated postal votes (media)

• Kurti avoids journalists' question about post-election coalitions (ekonomia)

• Haradinaj rules out cooperation with Kurti (KosovaPress)

• Florian Dushi appointed deputy mayor of Pristina (media)

   

Serbian Language Media: 

• CSO: Random detention of minors and ethnic bias of the police (KiM radio, KoSSev)
• Serbian List condemns apprehension of underage children, calls on EULEX ‘to wake up’ (KoSSev)
• Apprehended underage Bosniak boy claims he was mistreated at police station North last night (KoSSev)
• Three Serb minors detained in North Mitrovica released after police admit mistake (KoSSev, Radio Mitrovica sever, N1)
• EU: Serbia's behavior in the CoE a clear violation of the Ohrid Agreement (RFE)
• Trial of Gavrilo Milosavljevic from Istok continues (Kosovo Online)

• General strike in Serbia, part 2 (N1)

Albanian Language Media 

NATO chief to visit Kosovo on Tuesday, to meet with President Osmani (Reporteri)

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte is expected to visit Kosovo on March 11 for the first time since taking office. The news website has learned that Rutte will be received by Kosovo President, Vjosa Osmani, on Tuesday of next week. The two are then expected to hold a press conference at around 2:30 p.m.

Rutte himself had announced that he would visit Kosovo during March in a debate he had earlier held in Bratislava, Slovakia. He had said that he sees no reason to believe that there could be any dramatic change in terms of American commitment to NATO. "And more generally for the Western Balkans, we have to make sure that we keep it under control, because stability in Kosovo, stability in Bosnia, stability in Serbia is in the interest of all of us. We had elections in Kosovo, I think they are not finalized yet, but it seems that the largest party that governed Kosovo practically alone before the elections, may have to form a coalition. Let's see how things go there, but it is a normal democratic process in forming coalitions," Rutte had said.

EU: Serbia violated the Ohrid Agreement (media)

The European Union considers that Serbia has violated the Ohrid Agreement with its approach to the process of obtaining Kosovo’s special guest status in the Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. “Serbia’s behavior in the Council of Europe is in clear contradiction with Serbia’s obligations under the Ohrid Agreement,” reads a written response from the EU headquarters. Officials of this institution explain that Article 4 of the Ohrid Agreement clearly underlines that Serbia will not oppose Kosovo’s membership in international organisations. The request in question was on the agenda of the meeting of the Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy of the Parliamentary Assembly of the CoE on March 5, but was suddenly removed from the agenda. Serbian officials described this as their victory. 

British Embassy on Kurti's failure to appear at Prosecution (Klan)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti, for the fourth time, has rejected the request of the Special Prosecution to appear as a witness. Klankosova.tv has asked the British Embassy in Pristina about the case.

"Respect for the rule of law is an essential feature of Kosovo's democracy. We urge those interested in this case to act in accordance with the Constitution of Kosovo and to respect due legal process and work in the best interest of the country," the British Embassy's response states, among other things.

Kosovo's CEC rejects reassessment of invalidated postal votes (media)

The Central Election Commission (CEC) rejected on Thursday the recommendation from its Secretariat to reassess postal votes that were declared invalid. Fifteen ballots were initially declared invalid at the Counting of Results Center (CRC). However, the Election Complaints and Appeals Panel (ECAP) later ordered these votes to be considered valid. This prompted the CEC Secretariat to recommend reopening all postal ballot boxes to reassess the invalidated votes. However, with four votes in favor and three abstentions, the CEC rejected the recommendation. 

CEC member Ilir Gashi from the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) opposed the decision, stating that the Secretariat's recommendation had no legal basis. Meanwhile, Sami Kurteshi, a CEC member from Vetevendosje Movement (LVV), supported the recommendation, arguing that the postal voting process from the diaspora has been compromised and that he expects judicial institutions to intervene.

Kurti avoids journalists' question about post-election coalitions (ekonomia)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti was asked whether he would begin consultations with political parties on the possibility of post-election coalitions and the formation of a new government. He gave a short answer, emphasizing that consultations will begin only after the official results are certified, reports Ekonomia Online. "Once the results are certified," he briefly told the media.

Haradinaj rules out cooperation with Kurti (KosovaPress)

The leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), Ramush Haradinaj, ruled out any possibility of cooperation with the Vetevendosje Movement, on forming a government. He told the news website that the government should be formed by the opposition and according to him, there is communication about this. 

"I believe that it is already clear that the opposition has the majority, of course after the constitutional deadlines the opposition can form the government. I believe this is what belongs to us as oppositionists, to unite and form the government from the opposition. There is mutual communication [with the opposition], there is no concrete progress because there are also constitutional deadlines, but I believe there is a willingness to move forward" he said.

Asked in which case he would cooperate with the party of the incumbent Prime Minister, Albin Kurti, Haradinaj said "we are in opposition and as oppositionists we are committed to giving Kosovo a majority opposition government. This is also the position of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo,"

Florian Dushi appointed deputy mayor of Pristina (media)

Mayor of Pristina, Perparim Rama, announced through a statement that the Director of the Inspection in Pristina, Florian Dushi, will be the new deputy mayor of the Municipality of Pristina. He said that Dushi would begin work immediately after the conclusion of the central electoral process. "His extraordinary contribution has been indisputable, and I am convinced that he will continue to be so in the new position, which also includes key sectors such as the Inspectorate, Public Services, Legal Office and Administration. This decision is part of our strategy to strengthen our teams and ensure a better future for the Capital," Rama wrote on today on "Facebook". According to the preliminary results of the 09.02.2025 elections, Deputy Mayor Alban Zogaj has received enough votes to be a member of the Kosovo Assembly from the ranks of the Democratic League of Kosovo.

Serbian Language Media

CSO: Random detention of minors and ethnic bias of the police (KiM radio, KoSSev)

A group of non-governmental organizations from the north of Kosovo announces that the Kosovo Police acted inhumanely and without reason during the detention of minor Serbian boys in North Mitrovica last night, reported KiM radio.

"Last night's random detention of three minors of Serbian nationality by the Kosovo Police, without justifiable reason, without notifying the parents and with the use of excessive force, shows the obvious unprofessionalism and, what is even more worrying, the strong ethnic bias of the Kosovo Police. In the same case, according to the statements of one of the arrested minors of Bosniak nationality, inhuman behavior of police officers in the police unit was also recorded''.

Referring to the testimonies of a young man who, as he said, experienced police torture, the organizations CASA, AKTIV, NSI, InTER, ACDC point out that this is a pattern of police torture. In this sense, they recall the arrest of Milos Subotic in October of last year, who was injured in the police station after being arrested.

This, as these organizations point out, clearly indicates that the reaction of competent authorities and international institutions that cooperate and financially and materially assist the Kosovo Police was not adequate.

"According to Article 38 of the Child Protection Law (06/L-084), any corporal punishment and disciplinary measures that damage the human dignity of a child, including physical and mental violence and humiliating treatment by any person, including law enforcement agencies, are prohibited. A child must not be subjected to torture, inhuman or degrading treatment, corporal punishment, or any other form of degrading treatment. Also, according to Article 4 of the Juvenile Justice Act (LAW No. 06/L-006), deprivation of liberty of minors should be a last resort and limited to the shortest possible period. Minors must be treated humanely, with respect for their dignity and right to legal assistance," these organizations remind of existing Kosovo laws.

At the same time, civil society organizations in the north say that they are aware that the Kosovo police, with a biased interpretation of the law, will claim that they acted in accordance with the protocols or claim that it was a mistake.

Also, they add, "that EULEX will refer to its limited mandate".

"Such patterns of disclaimer only further emphasize the need to speed up diplomatic efforts that would provide institutional guarantees for the protection of Serbian and non-majority communities and the implementation of agreed international obligations. Last night's events further shed light on the worrying security situation in which the Serbian and other non-majority communities in the north of Kosovo find themselves, because it confirms that the biggest threat to security is the very institution that should guarantee it - the Kosovo Police. This means that according to the pattern of action we witnessed last night, every resident of the north of Kosovo, regardless of age, gender, or the existence of any guilt, is exposed to the risk of police violence".

NGOs CASA, Aktiv, NSI, InTER and ACDC call on EULEX to strengthen the monitoring of the Kosovo Police in the north of Kosovo, especially in the context of, as they point out, ethnically biased behavior.

Serbian List condemns apprehension of underage children, calls on EULEX ‘to wake up’ (KoSSev)

“Brutal apprehension of children, some of whom are 14-years old only, not informing their parents their children were arrested, handcuffing them in a manner that inflicts injuries, attempts to endanger their physical and psychological health in all ways – must not be perceived as something normal and must not go unpunished”, Serbian List official Igor Simic said in a conference today, KoSSev portal reported.

The conference of the Serbian List was held in Mitrovica North, at the party's premises, and the media were timely informed of it. Igor Simic, member of the Serbian List presidency said the initial reason to call the conference was to analyze results of parliamentary elections, but given the incident which took place last night, part of the address was dedicated to the arrest of underage boys in Mitrovica North.

“On behalf of the Serbian List leadership I condemn in the strongest terms violence that Serbian children were exposed to by parapolice units in the northern part of Kosovska Mitrovica”, Simic said. Referring to the arrest, he added that “what was seen on videos from the last night, is absolutely horrible, impermissible and deserves every condemnation, but also appropriate punishment of involved bodies”.

The Serbian List demanded the Kosovo Police Inspectorate to react. The same request was made to EULEX.

“To react the most urgently, publish a report on yesterday’s event, but also about all other cases in which members of Kosovo police used force, abused authority, endanger physiological and physical health of people”, he said. “I cannot even imagine how parents of children who went through all of this feel”, he added.

He once again called on EULEX to react. “We call upon EULEX to wake up from winter hibernation, the spring has come. To finally publish reports, they are paid way too much for nothing what they do. They are paid way too much to follow the police while it raids Serbian institutions without grounds. To finally come up and say – is this what is being done permitted and whether it is supported by EULEX?”, Simic said.

Apprehended underage Bosniak boy claims he was mistreated at police station North last night (KoSSev)

Slaps, blows with fists, kicks on the body, head by three police officers and one plainclothes officer. All this in a room without surveillance cameras, with blinds shut, switched off light - this is a brief description of what the underage Bosniak boy, apprehended last night, claimed he faced while in Kosovo police station in Mitrovica North.

Six underage persons were detained last night by Kosovo police in Mitrovica North, under suspicion of being involved in an inter-ethnic incident. This number includes three Serbs, one Bosniak and two Albanians. Three Serb boys have been released immediately upon police admitting they were arrested by mistake and took no part in the incident. They are 14 years old. During the night, other three persons, two Albanian boys and one Bosniak boy were also released as they were underage. The case is being investigated.

A 16-year old Bosniak boy D., upon release was taken by his parents to Mitrovica North Health House. As he said he came to the hospital, because during the three hours in the police station, he was exposed to real police mistreatment. He also told the leader of Serbian Democracy Aleksandar Arsenijevic in a video how he ended up at the police station.

“I was walking on the street, where the Postal Savings Bank used to be. A police officer with a bulletproof vest approached me, fully equipped with one more plainclothes officer with him. He took out his pistol and started yelling. I got down on my knees and he approached me with a pistol in front of my head”, the boy said.

The boy further claimed that they pushed him and that he fell on the ground. After that they handcuffed him, kicking him and hitting him in the head, along the way. The Kosovo police took him to the police station, adding they requested him to write down the names of all persons he was in company with last night, which he said he refused. After that, new blows came.

“They started hitting me, in the head, jaw area, back of my head, ribs”, he said. At one point, a plainclothes police officer who apprehended him came to the room. He slapped me several times, the boy added.

“He was yelling, slapping me. I wrote my name and the date of birth, and he started slamming the table. The one standing behind me, hit me in the back of my head”, he claimed further. After that a civilian with a cap came and started yelling at me and hitting me. “He started yelling, and I pulled down. Then he started hitting me in the ribs. The other one across the table started hitting me with fists to the head”, he described further. He confirmed he refused to unlock his phone, stressing it was his private matter.

After, as he claimed, the police officers closed the blinds, turned off the lights and allegedly started all together to beat him up. “Four of them were beating me up, kicking me in the darkness, on my head, body. I throw myself to the other chair, that is where I huddled”, he said.

Asked by Arsenijevic where this room is located, the boy said “when you enter on the right, then go to the left”, to which Arsenijevic added that it is “a room without surveillance cameras”. The Bosniak boy said during all this time he was without parents and the lawyer at the police station, despite being underage. In the video it was not said that he was involved in an incident, and Kosovo police could not confirm that today either, the portal added.

Kosovo police unaware

Kosovo police deputy commander for the region North, Veton Elshani confirmed for the portal that all six apprehended boys last night were released, and the investigation will find out what happened. He said he did not see reports on alleged police brutality, adding if parents think there is need, they can complain.

“Parents can complain to the police inspectorate, but we do not have information until now that police were beating someone”, he claimed. The portal recalled that these are the words of 15-year old Bosniak boy D. Elshani replied that “it can not be that police beat up 15-year old boy, police officers know that and that is not in the interest of police. Until now we did not receive this information”, he said.

This time as well, the portal added, they asked Elshani about new allegations that arrested persons are taken to the room without surveillance camera, where they are beaten up, of which Milos Subotic was the first to talk about, accusing police of mistreating him.

“There are many rooms without cameras. That is not true”, Elshani claimed this time as well.

At the same time the deputy commander for the region North was asked to comment on testimonies of many detained persons that Kosovo police commit psychological violence against them, allegedly provoking them in different ways, including insistence to talk in Albanian language, to which Elshani said that he “does not have information” about that.  

Three Serb minors detained in North Mitrovica released after police admit mistake (KoSSev, Radio Mitrovica sever, N1)

Six minors were detained last night in North Mitrovica on suspicion of involvement in an interethnic incident. While initial police reports stated that four Serbs and two Albanians had been arrested, a later statement from Kosovo police clarified that the detainees included three Serbian boys, a Bosniak, and two Albanians. Authorities admitted that the arrest of the three Serbian minors - who have since been released - was a mistake, reported KoSSev.

The detention took place in Vlade Cetkovic Street, shortly before 9 PM.

One of the released boys stated that they were detained without reason while heading to get food.

“We were just walking when police stopped us, assuming we were involved in a fight with Albanians. They searched us and took us to the station, even though we had nothing to do with it.”

According to the boy, officers initially pursued another group involved in the altercation but, failing to apprehend them, turned their attention to the three minors.

“One officer asked for my ID, but another dismissed it and told us to face the wall,” he added. “They even kicked my friend while frisking him.”

Parents of the detained minors gathered outside the police station last night, protesting the lack of notification regarding their children’s arrests.

“Not a single call to the parents! I found out by accident,” one mother exclaimed. “How can a 14-year-old be arrested without cause? They are terrified! You claim to guarantee security in this city, yet you arrest innocent children. Why? Why weren’t we informed?”

KP admits mistake

Kosovo police later admitted that the arrest of the three Serbian minors was a mistake. Petrit Fejza from the KP of the North region confirmed that surveillance footage showed the boys were not involved in the incident.

“We reviewed the footage, and they were not responsible,” Fejza said. “We didn’t even take their statements - they were released immediately.”

He also corrected initial police reports, which mistakenly stated that four Serbian minors and two Albanians had been arrested. Three Serbian boys were released, while, according to last night’s confirmation from the police, two Albanians and one Bosniak remain in custody.

Details about the nature of the incident that led to the arrests remain unclear.

EU: Serbia's behavior in the CoE a clear violation of the Ohrid Agreement (RFE)

The European Union believes that Serbia violated the obligations from the Ohrid Agreement by acting on Kosovo's request to be a special guest of the Committee for Political Affairs and Democracy of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, reported RFE in Serbian language. 

"Serbia's behavior in the Council of Europe is a clear violation of Serbia's obligations from the Ohrid Agreement," states the written response from the EU headquarters. Brussels officials remind that the fourth article of the Ohrid Agreement stipulates that Serbia will not oppose Kosovo's membership in international organizations.

On March 5, Kosovo's request to be a special guest of the Committee for Political Affairs and Democracy of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe was suddenly removed from the agenda.

Representatives of the Kosovo delegation who attended the meeting held in Paris assessed that it was an "unexpected development of events".

The President of the Assembly of Serbia, Ana Brnabic, assessed that it was a "small but significant victory".

Trial of Gavrilo Milosavljevic from Istok continues (Kosovo Online)

The trial of Gavrilo Milosavljevic from Istok accused of allegedly committing war crimes in Dubrava prison in 1999 continued today at the Basic Court in Pristina by hearing the witnesses, Kosovo Online portal reported.

Two witnesses will be interviewed today.  Milosavljevic was arrested on December 2, 2022, and remains in detention ever since. He is accused of alleged involvement in the mass murder of the Albanian prisoners in Dubrava, occurring in the period from May 22 to May 24, 1999, when 109 prisoners were killed and 108 wounded. Indictment against him was raised on November 29, 2023. In a hearing held on December 7, 2023, Milosavljevic pleaded not guilty. 

Commenting on the hearing, Milosavljevic’s defence lawyers said, “the witness interviewed today knows nothing about events”. Lawyers expressed hope the court will accept witnesses that they proposed. “{...} This is as if you would pick up anyone from the street and bring that person (to the court) to talk about the case. He does not know anything about the event, I do not know why they have interviewed him at all, to testify that the defendant was employed, as if that was disputable. He (Gavrilo) himself said where he worked (…)”, lawyer Nebojsa Vlajic said.

Lawyer Dejan Vasic recalled that Miosavljevic is in detention, accused of alleged involvement in the murder of more than 100 persons based on a statement of a single witness only.

“In principle, all these cases are founded on a statement of a single witness and some other witnesses who speak of the event in general terms. That witness will be heard next time. We proposed two witnesses, perhaps we will propose some more. That would be in April, when their hearings will take place”, Vasic added.

General strike in Serbia, part 2 (N1)

A large part of Serbia observed a general strike on Friday, responding to calls by protesting students for a second time.

The first general strike was staged on January 24 with large numbers of private businesses and others closing down their shops, employees in state companies and institutions calling in sick and the public boycotting retail outlets of all kinds.

Friday’s general strike won the support of high school students, the heads of Belgrade University, lawyers across the country and others.

The students have called for marches in Belgrade and Novi Sad in the morning, afternoon and evening when a protest gathering has been called in front of the Serbian state TV (RTS) headquarters.

Students in Novi Sad marched to 13 state-owned companies and institutions, pausing to protest in front of each of them.