UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, September 10, 2025

Albanian Language Media:

Mass grave inspection takes place today in Kozle, near Novi Pazar (media)
Haxhiu: “Kosovo is unitary state, not multiethnic – no group has right of veto” (media)
Qalaj: There won’t be a Kurti 3 govt; there will be early elections (media)
NISMA leaves door open for coalition with Vetevendosje (Indeksonline)
Haradinaj supports upcoming protest in The Hague (media)
Kosovo authorities say they closed a facility used by Serbian institutions (RFE)
Serbs wanted for Banjska attack attended Serbia-England match (Sinjali)
KLA war veterans meet MEP Mandl, raise concerns about Specialist Court (media)
Kosovo, Israel deepen ties in innovation, cybersecurity, climate education (RTK)

Serbian Language Media:

Municipal councilors approved decisions on repurposing 7 land parcels from agricultural to construction for buildings and kindergarten in Mitrovica North (Radio kontakt plus)
Radojevic: Illegitimate authorities in Mitrovica North make unlawful decisions on repurposing land (Kosovo Online, KoSSev. media)
Trial of five Serbs accused of war crimes starts in Pristina today (Kosovo Online)
Albanian and Serbian civil society organizations react to Klan Kosova targeting of Aktiv and Miodrag Milicevic (social media)
Economists warning: Rising electricity prices threaten companies, and citizens are getting poorer (KiM radio, Radio Mitrovica sever)
“Serbs Against Blockades” from northern Kosovo: Propaganda unity instead of genuine solidarity (Alternativna)

Opinion:

Kosovo and Palestine: Diverging Self-Determination (IWPR)

International:

European Commission, MEPs criticise Serbia over protest crackdown (Balkan Insight)

Albanian Language Media

Mass grave inspection takes place today in Kozle, near Novi Pazar (media)

Kosovo's Government Commission on Missing Persons has announced that field inspections began today in the village of Kozhle, near Novi Pazar, following suspicions about the existence of a mass grave potentially linked to the Kosovo war. The site visit, which began at 10:00 AM, involves officials from Kosovo’s Delegation, the Commission on Missing Persons, and the Institute of Forensic Medicine. The action follows repeated calls in official dialogues to investigate this location, as well as previously identified sites like Batajnica.

Last year, excavations at Kozhle were initiated but halted after preliminary preparations. The Commission emphasized the importance of access to Serbian institutional archives to accurately locate the grave and gather necessary evidence.

In a statement, the Commission reiterated its dedication to uncovering the truth. "Every step toward truth is a step toward justice, peace, and human dignity." It also acknowledged the ongoing pain of families who have waited over two decades for answers about their missing loved ones. The inspections are part of Kosovo’s broader efforts to resolve the fate of war-time missing persons.

Haxhiu: "Kosovo is unitary state, not multiethnic – no group has right of veto" (media)

Kosovo’s caretaker Minister of Justice, Albulena Haxhiu, stated in a statement to the media today that Kosovo is a unitary state, not a multiethnic one, emphasizing that no community or group has the right to veto the institutions. “Kosovo is a unitary and democratic state. No community has the right to block the functioning of institutions through a veto. All institutions operate based on the constitutional order and equality before the law,” Haxhiu said.

Her statement comes at a time when the Constitutional Court has imposed a temporary measure following a request by the Serbian List, which claims there were violations in the process of constituting the Assembly.

Haxhiu stressed that respecting the constitutional order is essential for the democratic functioning of Kosovo and that demands which undermine the fundamental principles of statehood and equal rights are unacceptable. “We cannot allow the state to become hostage to a group or political representation. Civic equality is the foundation of our republic,” she added.

Haxhiu emphasized that the government will continue to defend the unitary and constitutional character of Kosovo.

Qalaj: There won’t be a Kurti 3 govt; there will be early elections (media)

MP from the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) Rashit Qalaj said in an interview with Kanal 10 Kosovo will go to early parliamentary elections. “I don’t believe that there will be a Kurti 3 government, given the developments in the Assembly and the force of numbers. We are realistically in a position that will very soon lead us to general elections. I don’t think there will be any results from attempts to create a Kurti 3 government,” he argued.

NISMA leaves door open for coalition with Vetevendosje (Indeksonline)

MP from the Limaj-led NISMA Xhevahire Izmaku said in an interview with the news website today that they were always committed to breaking the political deadlock in the Kosovo Assembly. “Unfortunately, a parliamentary majority was not formed, although we were open for dialogue and compromise. NISMA did not want a new political drama, by sending the country to early elections, but insisted on the constitution of the Assembly and the Government. If there was a majority of 58 MPs from the Vetevendosje Movement, we would have sat at the table again – without conditions or prejudgments. But this has not been possible until now,” she argued. Izmaku also said that NISMA was not interested in the post of Assembly Deputy Speaker but in a functional agreement.

Haradinaj supports upcoming protest in The Hague (media)

Ramush Haradinaj, leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), has voiced his support for the protest set to take place on Sunday, September 14, in The Hague. The demonstration, organized by the Albanian diaspora and backed by the KLA War Veterans Organization, aims to demand justice for former KLA leaders currently on trial.

“This Sunday, on September 14, our compatriots in the diaspora and war-related organizations will protest in The Hague for justice. I stand firmly with this protest and the just effort to tell the world that our war was a just and liberating one,” Haradinaj stated.

Support for the protest was also expressed a day earlier by Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) leader Memli Krasniqi, who confirmed the participation of PDK structures abroad, along with activists and people from both the diaspora and Kosovo. “To raise our voice for the just war of the Kosovo Liberation Army and for our liberators who are being unjustly prosecuted,” Krasniqi wrote.

Kosovo authorities say they closed a facility used by Serbian institutions (RFE)

The municipality of Mitrovica North confirmed today that it has closed a facility where the Serbian Official Gazette and a library were operating, saying that there they found “people without the necessary documentation to use the premises”. “After the certificates or contracts were not presented, the facility has been closed until the documentation is presented,” the notification said.

The Serbian Government’s Office for Kosovo reacted to the development saying that Kosovo Police "usurped and closed the premises of the Official Gazette, impeding the normal functioning of Serb pupils and schools with school texts and material”.

Educational institutions in Serb communities in Kosovo function according to Serbia’s system, with the curricula of the Serbian Government Ministry of Education.

In early 2024, Kosovo authorities started closing institutions that function according to Serbia’s system, saying that they are illegal and parallel institutions. The institutions that were closed down include: the Serbian Post, the Bank of Postal Savings, provisional municipal bodies, centers for social work, and others.

US Embassy in Pristina Charge d’affaires Anu Prattipati, in an interview with Serbian media on September 4, said that all Serb parallel institutions including those in education and healthcare must be integrated in Kosovo’s system. She also said that the way this integration is done is crucial and that it needs to be done only through consultations with the Serb community.

In an interview with the news website in September 2024, Kosovo’s Interior Minister Xhelal Svecla said that the functioning of healthcare and education in Serb-majority areas is specific and that these institutions would be treated specifically and separately from the closure of other Serbian institutions.

Serbs wanted for Banjska attack attended Serbia-England match (Sinjali)

The news website reports that some of the Serbs wanted by Kosovo authorities for the terrorist attack in Banjska in September 2023 were present in the football match between Serbia and England on Tuesday evening. The news website also notes that their pictures and names were published on X. All of them are part of Milan Radoicic’s group and were involved in acts of violence and shouted “Kosovo is Serbia” chants. The pictures posted on X show Stefan Jovanovic, Stefan Radojkovic, Marjan Radojevic and Danijel Dukic, all of them included in Kosovo's indictment about the Banjska attack.

KLA war veterans meet MEP Mandl, raise concerns about Specialist Court (media)

Representatives of the Kosovo Liberation Army War Veterans Organization, Chairman Hysni Gucati and Deputy Chairman Gazmend Syla, met today with Member of the European Parliament Lukas Mandl at the European Parliament premises in Strasbourg. According to a statement from the organization, Gucati and Syla presented their concerns regarding developments at the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague. They urged MEP Mandl to convey their message to his fellow parliamentarians and relevant institutions in his home country. “This meeting marks a meaningful step in our ongoing efforts to raise international awareness and build lasting partnerships in defense of truth and justice,” the statement reads.

During the meeting, Gucati and Syla emphasized the need to protect the dignity of the KLA’s liberation struggle and the values upon which Kosovo’s freedom was built. The organization expressed gratitude for Mandl’s attention and continued support for Kosovo. The meeting is part of a broader initiative by the veterans' organization to engage with international institutions and advocate for a fair representation of the KLA’s legacy in judicial processes.

Kosovo, Israel deepen ties in innovation, cybersecurity, climate education (RTK)

A delegation from Israel, led by Gilad Shadmon, Director General at Israel’s Ministry for Regional Cooperation, visited Kosovo’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, where they were received by Secretary General Ilir Mucaj. Both sides reaffirmed the strong partnership between Kosovo and Israel, emphasizing areas such as innovation, cybersecurity, and water resource management as key for future cooperation.

A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between Kosovo’s ministries of education and environment and Israel’s Ministry of Regional Development, focusing on climate change education and institutional capacity building. The visit also included discussions on expanding collaboration in trade, investment, agriculture, and technology, marking a new step toward deepening bilateral ties and launching joint development projects.

Serbian Language Media

Municipal councilors approved decisions on repurposing 7 land parcels from agricultural to construction for buildings and kindergarten in Mitrovica North (Radio kontakt plus)

During the extraordinary session of the Mitrovica North Municipal Assembly announced only a few hours before it started, the councilors unanimously adopted 4 proposals to repurpose the 7 land parcels from agricultural to construction. Proposals among others, enable construction of kindergarten, residential objects and buildings in Bosniak Mahala.

All proposals came through Mitrovica North mayor Erden Atiq, while Directorate for Urbanism, Cadaster and Geodesy forwarded them to Assembly for adoption.

Despite some proposals lacking the protocol stamp, reference number or complete accompanying documentations, the Assembly approved all decisions unanimously.

Three requests for Bosniak Mahala

As Radio kontakt plus further reported even three requests related to parcels in Bosniak Mahala, across the Basic Prosecution, Municipal Assembly chair Nedzad Ugljanin said. On these parcels construction or commercial-residential building is planned, building for social housing and a kindergarten, although proposals did not precisely say the parcels related to Bosniak Mahala.

One of the requests forwarded on September 5, relates to a cadastral unit in size of 750 cubic meters with existing premises – a house and a yard – that would be repurposed into construction land for the purpose of constructing a kindergarten.

Despite, as councilors noted themselves, there is an ongoing judicial proceeding between owners of Serbian and Albanian ethnicity related to this land plot, the Municipal Assembly adopted the request, although the document also lacked the protocol number and was not signed by mayor Erden Atiq.

The investor is private insurance company Eurosig – AD which requested the repurposing of the parcel.

Merging of four parcels in size of 2.776 cubic meters

The councillors also adopted another request from Eurosig AD private company to repurpose the land from agricultural to construction to construct a residential-business object. The document was submitted on August 20, and also lacked protocol stamp and signature of the mayor. Nevertheless it was approved by councillors.

Mitrovica North municipality also filed a request to repurpose the land from agricultural to construction on September 4, for two land parcels, both, as it was said, owned by municipality, in order to take part in the Social Housing project and it is planned to reconstruct the residential building.

Ugljanin: At least 4 residential buildings and a kindergarten will be constructed

According to Municipal Assembly chair Nedzet Ugljanin in addition to the kindergarten, at least 4 residential buildings, among which one would include socially vulnerable families and a kindergarten will be constructed in Bosniak Mahala.

According to him, certain apartments whose construction is foreseen, in size larger than 70 square meters will be allocated to existing owners whose old building needs to be removed as part of the project, claiming that there is an agreement with those owners. He also said removal of some business premises is also planned.

However, he did not provide exact information which objects and business premises will be subject to demolition and compensation.

At the end of the session a request related to a privately owned parcel was also approved. An Albanian person requested repurposing of a small land parcel to build an object for individual housing.

Rado kontakt plus said there was almost no discussion about agenda items – proposals were unionally adopted upon being presented.

10 councillors took part in a session, while the only Serbian councillor Dusan Milunovic was not present.

“As of September 13, the councillors no longer can discuss repurposing the land as it is the date when pre-election campaign starts for election due on October 12”, Ugljanin said.

Radojevic: Illegitimate authorities in Mitrovica North make unlawful decisions on repurposing land (Kosovo Online, KoSSev, media)

Serbian List mayoral candidate in Mitrovica North Milan Radojevic said today that “illegal and illegitimate councilors” in Mitrovica North Municipal assembly have made again unlawful decisions given that in a session yesterday they adopted requests to repurpose 7 land parcels from agricultural to construction, although, as Radojevic argued it goes against the law.

He also underlined that no one knew anything about that decision, nor was any public discussion or public auction on this topic held, which is a legal obligation that councilors had to adhere to.

"Article 10, which refers to limitations of the Municipality says: The Municipal Assembly and the municipal executive cannot make any decisions regarding the use and exchange of municipal immovable property from the day the president declares local elections. Therefore, this decision is completely unlawful, completely illegal, and I assure all citizens that, after the departure of this illegal and illegitimate municipal authority and the arrival of a new authority, all decisions will be annulled, and those who voted for these illegal decisions, will be held accountable before competent courts", Radojevic underlined.

He called on the Ministry of Local Administration to act in line with the law and annul, as he said, illegal and unlawful decision.

Mitrovica North Municipal Assembly approved a decision yesterday to repurpose 7 land parcels from agricultural to construction, on which residential buildings, social housing building and kindergarten are planned to be constructed in Mitrovica North. Many requests approved by the assembly in this regard lacked protocol stamp, accompanying documentation or signature by the mayor. The session was announced only a few hours before it started, Serbian media recalled.

Trial of five Serbs accused of war crimes starts in Pristina today (Kosovo Online)

A trial in the case of five Serbs from the Gnjilane region accused of allegedly committing war crimes during the conflict in Kosovo has started today, Kosovo Online portal reported.

As it was said by prosecution earlier Dragan Nicic, Slobodan Jevtic, Dragan Cvetkovic, Milos Sosic and Nenad Stojanovic “as members of criminal group in cooperation with other unidentified members of the group, armed and in camouflage uniforms, as regular and irregular members of Serbian police and army, took part in murder of eight civilians of Albanian ethnicity”.

The five Serbs were arrested on August 3, last year. Following their arrests local Serbs protested, claiming they were innocent as they continued living in Kosovo for decades after the conflict, something unlikely to happen if a person committed war crime.

Out of those arrested, only Dragan Cvetkovic is under house arrest, the four others are in detention ever since their arrest.

Albanian and Serbian civil society organizations react to Klan Kosova targeting of Aktiv and Miodrag Milicevic (social media)

On Tuesday, number of civil society organizations, both from Albanian and Serbian communities reacted to Klan Kosova broadcast targeting Mitrovica-based non-governmental organization Aktiv and their executive director Miodrag Milicevic, labeling them as “enemies of the Kosovo police and state of Kosovo” and “spies”.

“We, the civil society organizations, express deep concern over the recent remarks made on a television program, which directly targeted NGO Aktiv for its work. Such public attacks contribute to a worrying trend in Kosovo, where civil society organizations (CSOs) and their activities are increasingly facing intimidation, public lynching and attempts at delegitimization”, the statement said.

“Civil society organizations play a crucial role in any democratic society. Their work, including monitoring institutions, reporting and advocating for accountability is essential to protecting the public interest. Media attacks that seek to discredit or delegitimize this work threaten not only the integrity of these organizations but also the broader principles of transparency, accountability and public participation.

If there are legitimate concerns or allegations that any organization has acted outside the scope of its mandate, such concerns should be addressed through competent institutions. The principle of presumption of innocence must be upheld in all cases.

We remind all actors, particularly the media, of their responsibility to promote open, fact-based and respectful public discourse. Silencing or intimidating NGOs sets a dangerous precedent and risks eroding Kosovo’s democratic values”, the statement concluded.

Signatories to the statement include: Youth Initiative for Human Rights - Kosovo (YIHR KS); New Social Initiative (NSI); Center for Social Group Development (Csgd Kosovo); Advocacy Center for Democratic Culture (ACDC); Artpolis - Art and Community; Center for Affirmative Social Actions (CASA); BIRN Kosova; Qendra Kosovare për Studime Gjinore (QKSGJ); CEL Kosova; Kosovo Law Institute; Humanitarian Law Center Kosovo; Community Building Mitrovica; Prishtina Institute for Political Studies - PIPS; Lëvizja FOL.

Economists warning: Rising electricity prices threaten companies, people are getting poorer (KiM radio, Radio Mitrovica sever)

Connoisseurs of the economic situation estimate that electricity price increases cause serious consequences for both companies and people, reported KiM radio.

The President of the Alliance of Kosovo Companies, Agim Shahini, and the former President of the Kosovo Chamber of Commerce, Safet Gerxhaliu, said companies are leaving Kosovo, while people are getting poorer.

"The Energy Regulatory Office (ERO) has proven to be unfair to all economic entities in Kosovo, and its decisions have seriously damaged the economy, domestic production and services. Prices have increased due to the increase in electricity prices for the strongest economic operators in Kosovo. Now the competitive power has been reduced in terms of electricity costs, which has led companies to look for cheaper solutions in the Balkan countries, and some have reduced the number of employees," said Shahini and added:

"All those attempts at manipulation that ERO is trying to carry out are unsustainable, because the goal has been achieved - electricity has risen in price and is the most expensive now in the Western Balkans. A new price increase is expected in the fall, and winter will probably find us with prices higher by over 30 percent. This will significantly burden the consumer basket of citizens and businesses. Companies no longer have any other alternative but to transfer their capital out of Kosovo."

He warned that rising prices, which force companies to move capital out of the country, contribute to increasing unemployment.

"We have companies with foreign investors that laid off dozens of workers after the decisions of ERO, we have domestic companies that are moving production out of Kosovo. The situation is getting worse - this best shows how many new production companies have opened in this period. Companies have already increased the prices of their products, some have reduced the number of workers, and exports will also decrease because competitiveness is decreasing, while imports will increase. On average, imports will exceed 7 billion euros, which is the largest import in the history of Kosovo," he pointed out.

On the other hand, economist Safet Gerxhaliu believes that the lack of reforms in the energy market and dependence on imports leave citizens and businesses at the mercy of foreign prices.

"ZRRE's statements regarding the review of the decision on the increase in electricity prices are not a surprise, because we have already warned that there will be a new increase at the end of the year. The reason is that we do not have decisions on market liberalization, we do not have the elimination of bureaucratic procedures for issuing permits for domestic electricity production, whether it is solar or hydropower. We depend on imports, so prices are not determined by the citizens of Kosovo, but by the market. As long as we do not have economic independence, we will depend on imports that harm the private sector and businesses. In Kosovo, we have more repairs (overhaul) than investments in the expansion of production capacities, which is a political strategy," said Gerxhaliu.

He believes that the new increase in energy prices is worrying, especially in the conditions of inflation and economic stagnation.

"There is an increase in energy prices at a time when we have inflation and a general increase in prices, and at the same time Kosovo is emptying. In this race to increase prices, thanks to inflation and corruption scandals, we have wage freezes in both the private and public sectors. This is very worrying," he added.

A few days ago, at a press conference, ZRRE called on companies to respect legal decisions, stating that increases are not a matter of desire, but a legal obligation.

“Serbs Against Blockades” from northern Kosovo: Propaganda unity instead of genuine solidarity (Alternativna)

“Magnificent! Huge banners reading ‘Serbs Against Blockades’ appeared on the Zvecan fortress and Kamilja Hill in Leposavic!” – read the headlines published on September 7 by Serbian tabloids and pro-government outlets (Informer, Alo, Politika, B92, Pink). That banners were indeed placed is not disputed – at least judging by the photographs. But the question arises: “did Serbs from Kosovo, despite Albin Kurti’s pressures, really show what they think about the events in central Serbia,” as Serbian tabloids claim? And who actually put up the banners? They appeared just as protests and blockades were underway in central Serbia, giving the impression that the message from northern Kosovo aimed more at the Serbian public than at the local population. Especially since only tabloids and pro-government media reported on it. Alternativna’s interlocutors say that such moves are not surprising, underscoring that the north of Kosovo has long been used as a stage for political propaganda and for demonstrating supposed unity, reported portal Alternativna in English.

What did the tabloids write?

“At the Zvecan fortress, where the Serbian tricolor proudly flies, and on the magnificent cross at Kamilja Hill in Leposavic, huge banners appeared this morning (September 7) reading ‘Serbs Against Blockades’. With them, Serbs from northern Kosovo and Metohija are sending a clear message that they are against blockades and the halting of Serbia, against those blockers who, following Albin Kurti’s example, want to see Serbia weakened so it can be preyed upon” – read a section of articles in Serbian tabloids and pro-government outlets.

But there were no blockades in Kosovo. Citizens only gathered in smaller numbers in North Mitrovica to observe a 16-minute tribute to those killed in the collapse of a railway station canopy in Novi Sad.

Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/yz45e8y5

Opinion

Kosovo and Palestine: Diverging Self-Determination (IWPR)

Though united by aspirations for independence, they ended up in opposite geopolitical camps.

Opinion piece by Agon Maliqi

Who gets to have a state? How are the competing principles of sovereignty and self-determination resolved? Where does a state’s right to defend itself end, and the right of a community to fight for freedom begin?

The UN, created after World War II, was meant to offer a common framework for such dilemmas as decolonisation gathered pace. The stakes were clear: the earlier collapse of European empires like the Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian ones had left a scramble for territory that helped produce two world wars.

Yet since the UN’s founding, international law has treated self-determination struggles inconsistently. Outcomes have always hinged on geopolitics and power balances, fuelling grievances over double standards.

These became sharper after the Soviet Union’s collapse, when the West held an unrivaled sway over global norms. A liberal interpretation of international law began to erode the notion that sovereignty granted states a free hand over their populations, holding governments to account for crimes against their citizens.

It was in this moment of liberal triumphalism—under the logic of humanitarian intervention—that Kosovo became a sui generis case of how a state is born in international law, even if the self-determination struggle of Kosovan Albanians had preceded this international moment of its recognition.

NATO’s 1999 intervention halted Serbia’s campaign of ethnic cleansing, and in 2008 Kosovo declared independence through a UN-mediated process backed primarily by Western states. When Serbia challenged the move at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the latter concluded that Kosovo’s declaration did not violate international law.