Albanian Language Media:

• Rutte: The dialogue is not going the way we would like it to (Express)

• VV: Opposition’s biggest worry is the changed situation in the north (Telegrafi)

• Police: “Parallel municipality issued false documents” (media)

• RTK: Broadcast of Assembly session wasn’t interrupted even for a minute (media)

• Maqedonci: 1,658 people applied for 300 spots for new KSF recruits (media)

• Pacolli reacts to govt spokesperson: Ask Prime Minister and President (media)

Serbian Language Media: 

• Vucic: External and internal pressures increasing, Serbia is bothering them because it defends the UN Charter, Resolution 1244, and its Constitution (Kosovo Online, Euronews, media)

• Vucevic on Friday with Ziadeh and Blanar (Kosovo Online)

• Serbian List: Kurti does not stop oppressing the Serbian people (KiM radio)

• The allegations against A.J. after the weapons seizure, he claims they are airsoft items (KoSSev)

• Subaric on the seizure of Gracanica municipal property: I hope this issue will be addressed in the dialogue (Kosovo Online)

• Jevtic: The property issue must be on the table in Brussels; Pristina's intent to seize everything Serbian (Kosovo Online)

• Eric Swalwell: The USA and Serbia relations have no borders, work to deepen cooperation (Tanjug, Politika)

Opinion:

• Kosovo’s Human Rights Backsliding: A Threat to All (sbunker.com)

International: 

• Freedom on the Net 2024: Serbia (Freedom House)

      Albanian Language Media  

Rutte: The dialogue is not going the way we would like it to (Express)

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte told reporters in Brussels today that they are aware of tensions in the Western Balkans and that the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia is not going the way we would like to. He also said that NATO is certainly concerned with secessionist tensions that are still trying to orient division within the society of Bosnia and Herzegovina. “It will definitely be on the agenda, and we are sure we will do everything to support the Western Balkans,” he said before the meeting of defense ministers of NATO member states. 

VV: Opposition’s biggest worry is the changed situation in the north (Telegrafi)

The Vetevendosje Movement (VV) took to Facebook today to react to claims by opposition parties that it cooperated with the Serbian List. The accusations came after the publication of conversations between VV parliamentary group chief Mimoza Kusari and senior members of the Serbian List. The VV however said in its reaction today that they have made changes in the north of Kosovo and that is the opposition’s biggest concern. 

“A lot of things were always possible but were never done by any of the previous governments, because every time there was talk about Mitrovica there was always talk about partition or Zajednica [Association of Serb-majority municipalities], and because the associates of the Serbian List and [Milan] Radoicic together with Serbia benefited from the lack of rule of law in the north. The change of the situation in the north is now clear and this is the opposition’s biggest concern with the Kurti government,” VV said in the reaction. 

Police: “Parallel municipality issued false documents” (media)

Kosovo Police provided details today about the control at the building of the Serbian-run municipality of Skenderaj in Mitrovica North. “Upon receiving information from operational routes, police ran a control at the building under the ownership of Trepca, because the parallel municipality of Skenderaj was functioning there. During the control were found and confiscated documents and equipment which prove that illegal and false documents were issued at this building. The case is under investigation,” the police report notes.

RTK: Broadcast of Assembly session wasn’t interrupted even for a minute (media)

The directorate of the Radio Television of Kosovo (RTK) said in a public statement that the broadcast of the session of the Kosovo Assembly on Wednesday was not interrupted for a single minute. It noted that the extraordinary session of the Assembly was directly broadcast on RTK3 and on the broadcaster’s Facebook page.

“RTK1 at that time was broadcasting an event of special importance that treats one of the most vulnerable categories of society, the victims of sexual violence in conflict. At the international conference on sexual violence in conflict which was broadcast on RTK1 in addition to the leaders of the state, one of the speakers was also Denis Mukwege, a laureate of the Nobel Peace Prize,” the statement notes. “Moreover, the direct broadcast of the international conference on sexual violence in conflict was planned way earlier after a meeting between the managers of RTK-TV and the heads of the organization [Kosovo Rehabilitation Centre for Victims of Torture]”.

Maqedonci: 1,658 people applied for 300 spots for new KSF recruits (media)

Kosovo’s Minister of Defense, Ejup Maqedonci, said in a Facebook post that 1,658 people have applied for the vacancy for 300 new recruits of the Kosovo Security Force (KSF). “Once the recruitment process is over, we will reach a total number of 2,271 recruits. This means that in four years we are nearly doubling the number of KSF soldiers. The Army of Kosovo is growing in numbers, is consolidated with professional capacities and modern weapons systems,” he said. Maqedonci also said that since the start of its mandate, the government has invested €268 million in purchasing weapons systems.

Pacolli and government spokesperson trade reactions (media)

Leader of the New Kosovo Alliance (AKR), Behgjet Pacolli, reacted to a statement by Kosovo government spokesperson Perparim Kryeziu who denied Pacolli’s statement from Wednesday that in the presence of Prime Minister Kurti he had talked on the phone to Milan Radoicic to secure a vote for the election of Vjosa Osmani as President of Kosovo. “Before making untrue statements, first ask the Prime Minister and the President. They will tell you that the phone call was made upon their request, to secure the presence of one more MP. I did not need the votes, and it would be absurd to make the phone call without their request, which they needed! They will also tell you about the circumstances of the phone call, which happened in their presence … on the first hours of the day of the vote for the President. As a result of this phone call, the presence of MP Adem Hodza was secured at the vote for the president. Publicly revealing this case has nothing to do with any certain scenario. I was asked explicitly by the reporter yesterday and I could not but tell the truth!” Pacolli said in a Facebook post.

Government spokesperson Perparim Kryeziu however reacted again today saying that “Prime Minister Albin Kurti was never present in any telephone conversation that MP Behgjet Pacolli had with the criminal Milan Radoicic, which he himself is admitting”. He also said that “Mr. Pacolli doesn’t have to justify the communications he might have had with Radoicic. Because after all he was a minister of the government that was formed with the votes of the Serbian List and they waited for several hours in the Assembly until they came back from Belgrade. He [Pacolli] was in a coalition with Radoicic’s Serbian List. I believe they had regular communication with them”.

Serbian Language Media 

Vucic: External and internal pressures increasing, Serbia is bothering them because it defends the UN Charter, Resolution 1244, and its Constitution (Kosovo Online, Euronews, media)

The President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, said at the commemoration of the 125th anniversary of the establishment of the Security and Information Agency (BIA) that the external and internal pressures on Serbia will increase because we are living in a time of great challenges, and that the BIA has always stood by its Serbia, defending its freedom, statehood and integrity, reported Kosovo Online, citing Euronews Serbia.

Vucic said that the event in Banjska showed that, on the one hand, there is a violation of the UN Charter and Resolution 1244, and on the other, repression of all those who rebel against it.

"They did the same to us about Banjska. They bring us policemen who are not allowed to be in the 'North of Kosovo'. They are arming what they call the security forces, turning them into an army, all contrary to Resolution 1244. And all this is normal and decent. The population rebelled, whom they promised not to prosecute. Beat up, arrest, kill all of Serbia because they dared to defend the UN Charter, Resolution 1244, and their Constitution. And it's like that every time. And it will be like that every time because everyone else's strength is much greater than ours. But it is incredible that a small number of people, including people from BIA, managed to recognize their games," Vucic said.

Vucic stated that at one point 83 percent of citizens were explicitly against lithium mining, but the number has halved and will be even lower, reported N1.

The President of Serbia also said that he will inform the public by October 21 at the latest whether he will accept the invitation of the President of Russia Vladimir Putin to participate in the work of the summit of the BRICS countries, which will be organized in Kazan.

According to N1, he also said that "there has never been more internal pressure from the different foreign services", stating that he has never felt so much pressure from within, because "all the players of the different services, both western and eastern, are under pressure to achieve the results that the foreign services ask of them".

Vucic assessed that there is "nervousness" in the region when it comes to the Serbian factor.

"They will try to provoke us in order to stop the economic progress of Serbia, but they did not consider that they homogenized the entire Serbian people in the region. People realized that we have to close ranks, that we have to provide a joint response," said Vucic.

He also assesses that the war in Ukraine "will not end soon" and that there is "no long-term peace" in the Middle East.

"Everyone will come up with real or fake plans for peace, but in fact there is no plan. The end of the American elections is awaited, to see with what ferocity who will strike and how," added Vucic.

He reminded that Serbia condemned the attack on the peacekeeping mission of the United Nations UNIFIL in Lebanon, which includes members of the Serbian Armed Forces.

"No one has the right to do that, we will always condemn. Regardless of the friendly relations with Israel," said Vucic, stating that Serbia consulted with the UN about the next steps.

Regarding the census in Montenegro, he said that it is an internal matter of Montenegro, but also that the results of that census show that the Serbian people "well understood that they can survive only by preserving their national, cultural and linguistic identity."

Vucevic on Friday with Ziadeh and Blanar (Kosovo Online)

The Prime Minister of Serbia, Milos Vucevic, will meet with the Special Representative of the Secretary General and Head of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo, Caroline Ziadeh, announced the Prime Minister's Office.

As stated, the meeting will be held on Friday, October 18 in the building of the Government of Serbia. 

It is added that after the meeting with Ziadeh, Vucevic will also have a meeting with the Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of Slovakia, Juraj Blanar.

Serbian List: Kurti does not stop oppressing the Serbian people (KiM radio)

Responding to yesterday's closure of the Provisional Authority of the Municipality of Srbica in North Mitrovica, Serbian list stated that Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti "does not stop the systematic oppression of the Serbian people", reported KiM radio. 

They point out that after nine temporary authorities were closed, the Provisional Authority of the municipality of Srbica was also closed yesterday, which, as they pointed out, took care of forcibly expelled Serbs from this municipality that was almost completely ethnically cleansed.

"Kurti does not stop with the systematic oppression of the Serbian people and the extinguishing of the Serbian institutions on which the survival of the Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija depends," stated the SL. 

They believe that the "silence of the international community" is a direct complicity "in the oppression of Serbs". "These are not random actions, but part of a systematic plan by which Kurti creates an ethnically pure Kosovo," added this party reaction. 

At the same time, they call on the authorities in Serbia to continue providing support to the Serbian people. "To increase and strengthen this aid in order to reach every citizen of ours in these areas", the SL statement emphasized.

The allegations against A.J. after the weapons seizure, he claims they are airsoft items (KoSSev)

KoSSev portal reported yesterday that in a recent operation in North Mitrovica, police seized a Kalashnikov, two hand grenades, crypto-currency mining equipment and military equipment. According to this portal, the case earned a lot of attention from the Albanian media, as well as from the Minister of the Interior, linking everything to terrorism. Serbian A.J. denies the charges, claiming the items are related to his airsoft activities, and plans to report to the police upon his return from Belgrade, where he and his wife are undergoing IVF treatment. He also reacted to the sensationalist reporting of the media in Albanian, stressing that the presumption of innocence is being violated and that a significant part of the allegations was not true.

According to KoSSev, eight days ago, in a private house shared by two separate apartments, A.J. and V.J. in the center of North Mitrovica, the Kosovo police confiscated weapons and equipment for mining cryptocurrencies.

As the KP announced at the time, they conducted the operation in an alleged search for narcotics, but, in addition to mining equipment, in two apartments, they also found Kalashnikovs, two hand grenades, two radio links, two bulletproof vests and some military equipment. It is not specified what was found in which apartment.

The suspects are two persons, with the initials A.J. (1992) and V.J. (1978). They were not found at home, and since then they have been looking for them, the KP said on October 7.

On the same day, in a considerable number of media in Albanian, reported KoSSev, the identity of one person was revealed, who was stated to be a "drug dealer" and that he "managed to escape from the police", while the police seizure was presented as part of the fight against terrorism, the case being connected with Banjska, with photos of this young man in military gear and with weapons, and there were also guests in the studio who spoke about this and A.J. At the same time, on social networks, through several groups and individuals who use the Albanian language, the action was also presented as part of the fight against terrorism and Serbian criminals with photos of A.J.

That same evening, the Kosovo Minister of the Interior, Xhelal Svecla, also spoke, who also linked the case to terrorism, and along with the photos of the confiscated items, he also published a photo of A.J. in military equipment.

This week, A.J. through lawyer Predrag Miljkovic, asked KoSSev portal to publish denials to some of the allegations in the media in Albanian, but also to what the police announced.

As a concrete example, reported KoSSev, a media report from October 7 under the title: "Exclusive: Who is the Serb wanted by the Kosovo Police for the weapons they seized today", in which, in addition to the published photo of A.J., the statement of the Deputy Commander of the Kosovo Police for the North region of Veton Elshani about what was seized that day.

"A.J. states that nothing of the aforementioned firearms was found in his house, except for scarves, bags and vests. However, all this "equipment" is actually from the period when he participated in airsoft, for which he also attaches a photo of the registered association for Airsoft called "Kodiak", which he and his friends registered in Kosovo on 11/12/2015. year", it was announced in this denial.

A.J, through his lawyer, pointed out that Airsoft is: "A military simulation sport that uses replicas of weapons and equipment, similar to paintball."

Also, part of the denial refers to the fact that A.J. "managed to escape the police".

"My client is currently in Belgrade, where he and his wife are waiting for in vitro fertilization, because they want to become parents, which requires long-term treatment, but also that as soon as the treatment is over, they will come to the North Mitrovica police station, and to testify about the items found in his house," the lawyer stated.

In his denial, Miljkovic specifically referred to the reporting by the media in Albanian that day:

"The Kosovo press and media reported on the search, the found items and my client in an extremely unprofessional and sensationalist manner. I will give you just one example: The show on Klan Kosova TV, which was posted on YouTube under the title 'Armed to the teeth / What is A.J. (originally published full name, ed.) wanted by the police posted on Facebook'. In that show, one of the interlocutors, who also runs a media site and a page of the same name on social networks, showed pictures from the FB profile of A.J., from Airsoft. At the same time, by showing these pictures, he characterized him as a member of some military formation."

The lawyer states that it is very noticeable that these images were taken during Airsoft games, as well as that the images contain replicas of weapons (which are normally used in Airsoft), "which can be easily verified by appropriate expertise."

"By targeting my client in this way, the presumption of innocence is violated, and public opinion forms an opinion that can influence the further course of the proceedings," it was stated in the press release of lawyer Miljkovic addressed to KoSSev. 

On KoSSev's question why they send denials a week later, instead of immediately after the reporting by the media in Albanian and the announcement of the Kosovo minister, A.J. replied through the lawyer: "Due to concerns about family problems in the first place. Certainly, and so that 'the dust would settle a little'."

Subaric on the seizure of Gracanica municipal property: I hope this issue will be addressed in the dialogue (Kosovo Online)

“The seizure of municipal property in Gracanica is an unprecedented action that has further unsettled and worried our citizens. I sincerely hope and believe that common sense will prevail and that, with the pressure of the international community, this issue will be brought to the dialogue, because without the guarantee of a new agreement, we can expect more actions from Pristina,” Ljiljana Subaric, the mayor of Gracanica, told Kosovo Online.

Subaric also expressed her sincere belief that the series of unilateral actions by the central authorities in Pristina, targeting the Serbian population, Serbian institutions, and municipal property, will be stopped.

"Healthcare, education, and culture are part of our identity and survival, and without these institutions, we have no future here," Subaric noted.

Recently, the Kosovo government decided to appropriate 13 hectares and 33 ares of municipal property in the Padaliste settlement for the construction of the "Kosovo Residential Center for Autism, Down Syndrome, and Disability for Children and the Elderly."

As the municipality stated at the time, the Kosovo government’s decision was sent to the municipality without prior consultation and without municipal approval.

Jevtic: The property issue must be on the Brussels table in Brussels; Pristina's intent to seize everything Serbian (Kosovo Online)

The issue of property must be addressed at the Brussels dialogue table due to the simple fact that these issues have not been resolved through the mechanisms available within institutions. I can speak about examples like the Brezovica Ski Center and others, and I believe that the dialogue in Brussels is the way to resolve these issues, Dalibor Jevtic, the mayor of Strpce, said in a statement to Kosovo Online.

Jevtic says that Pristina’s intentions in the future are to close and seize everything that is Serbian and that such decisions will be fought against in a democratic and institutional manner, reported Kosovo Online in English.

"What Pristina is currently doing through the Privatization Agency is illegal according to current regulations, for several reasons. It is clear that the intentions of the current government and Albin Kurti's regime are to close everything that is Serbian and seize all Serbian property. I have no doubt about that. I know and I am almost certain that Albin Kurti will not give up on his goals wherever Serbs today have any property or institution. For Albin Kurti, these are political targets in achieving his political and nationalist goals," Jevtic said.

Read more at:https://tinyurl.com/4mzzcewm

Jevtic announced today, as reported by Kim radio, that the Privatization Agency of Kosovo removed the "City Tavern" from the list of public buildings that they offered for lease.  

Eric Swalwell: The USA and Serbia relations have no borders, work to deepen cooperation (Tanjug, Politika)

Congressman from the Democratic Party Eric Swalwell said today that relations between the United States of America and Serbia have no borders, and that he considers Serbia an important partner in the region, reported Tanjug, citing Politika daily. 

"I appreciate your work on the 'Open Balkans' initiative, your aspirations to become part of the European Union, the acceptance of refugees from Ukraine, as well as the votes you gave regarding the issue of Ukraine in the United Nations," said Swalwell for the Politika daily. 

He said that he wants to do more to strengthen those relations, so that even deeper ties can be achieved, especially in the field of trade, and especially in the technology sector, reported Tanjug.

                                                              Opinion

Kosovo’s Human Rights Backsliding: A Threat to All (sbunker.com)

By Bronwyn Jones

On October 9, 2024, Kosovo Serb opposition politician Aleksandar Arsenjevic was arrested for the sixth time for blowing a whistle at a Kosovo government official in north Mitrovica.

The growing Pistaljka protest has spread throughout the Kosovo Serb community to show their opposition to the Kosovo government’s actions in the north. 

Arsenijevic was detained for 48 hours but released after 24. He now faces a restraining order, requiring him to remain at least 40 meters away from Visar Syla, the chief of cabinet for North Mitrovica’s mayor, who filed the complaint.

Whether you agree or not with the motivations of the protestors, an individual has the right to freely protest and express their views peacefully even if done in a manner that is annoying. In fact, upsetting the political elites and alerting the public is exactly what legitimate, peaceful protest is supposed to do. 

Arsenijevic’s repeated arrests are in violation of many human rights norms and the Kosovo Constitution, including the rights to free speech, freedom of expression and freedom of assembly.

This should alarm all Kosovars. If a government can violate the rights of Arsenjevic and the Serb community so openly, who will be targeted next? Women? LGBTQ+ individuals? Opposition figures? Journalists? 

The increasingly violent nature of Arsenjevic’s arrests is a clear sign to those who dare to speak up to the state.

But his case is not the only thing that is worrisome about the Kosovo government’s overreach in the north. The Kosovo government has also been illegally expropriating land from ethnic Serbs in the north for its own use, often for police bases and checkpoints.  

This has also recently spread to Gracanica with the local government objecting to 13 acres of land being handed over to an NGO accused of government connections, with no prior consultations with the municipality. 

Despite Kosovo court rulings casting doubt on the legality of these expropriations and the international community condemning these actions, the Kosovo government persists. 

Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/6np2dy59

International

Freedom on the Net 2024: Serbia (Freedom House)

Key Developments, June 1, 2023–May 31, 2024

Internet freedom in Serbia continued to decline during the coverage period due to reports that activists were targeted with spyware and the increasingly dominant position of the state-owned Telekom Serbia in both the telecommunications market. While Serbia features high levels of internet access, limited website blocking, and strong constitutional protections for journalists, progovernment news sites and trolls engage in disinformation campaigns and journalists continue to face strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs).

Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/2y7t6xw6