UNMIK Media Observer, Morning Edition, July 23, 2025

Albanian Language Media:

Osmani meets Prattipati and Hargreaves before addressing assembly constitution issue (media)
Osmani requests Constitutional Court interpretation on consequences if parliament is not constituted within deadline (media)
Kryeziu responds to Osmani: Absurd, Constitutional Court didn't invent 30-day deadline (Reporteri)
Hoxha after Vucic’s threats: We are prepared for any challenge (media)
Serbia deepens tensions, arrests another former KLA soldier (Klan)
Bislimi meets Prattipati, discuss Growth Plan (media)
Abdixhiku: ICJ opinion, international confirmation of Kosovo’s statehood (media)
Haradinaj: ICJ ruling confirmed our ideal for freedom (media)
US Embassy congratulates Kosovo police recruits (media)

Serbian Language Media:

Petkovic says five thousand Serbs in Kosovo to receive monthly amounts of 170 EUR as of autumn (Radio KIM)
Igor Popovic visited by parents in Gnjilane prison (Tanjug, media)
Former KLA member arrested in Serbia (media)
Vucic: Accountability for destruction of Serbia (N1)
DefMin deploys new vehicles for UNIFIL contingent (N1)
Zoran Sekulic, founder of first Serbian private independent news agency dies (media)

Opinion:

Courage of Serbia’s young protesters must not be forgotten (Balkan Insight)

International Media:

Kosovo President presses court to clarify consequences of parliamentary deadlock (Balkan Insight)

Albanian Language Media

Osmani meets Prattipati and Hargreaves before addressing assembly constitution issue (media)

Kosovo President, Vjosa Osmani, held meetings with the U.S. Embassy’s Chargé d’Affaires, Anu Prattipati, and the UK Ambassador, Jonathan Hargreaves, prior to holding a press conference on the issue of the Assembly’s constitution. According to the Presidency’s announcement, both meetings focused solely on how to proceed with the constitution of the Assembly.

Osmani requests Constitutional Court interpretation on consequences if parliament is not constituted within deadline (media)

Kosovo President, Vjosa Osmani, has submitted a request to the Constitutional Court seeking an interpretation of the legal consequences that may arise if the newly elected Parliament is not constituted within the 30-day timeframe. In a press conference on Tuesday afternoon, Osmani emphasized that her request to the court is preventive in nature and necessary to ensure the democratic functioning of the country’s institutions. She expects the court to examine what she called a “conflict of constitutional competencies caused by the failure to constitute the Assembly.”

She stated that this is an unprecedented case in Kosovo’s political life and that the lack of consensus to constitute the Assembly within the constitutional deadline has created legal uncertainty. Osmani expressed hope that the Constitutional Court will prioritize this issue. “Every failure to act must have legal consequences, but these have not been clarified until now. Our request essentially seeks clarification on what those consequences would be if the Assembly is not constituted on time. This is an effort to prevent irreversible consequences for the constitutional order of the country,” Osmani said.

She also noted that no consensus or compromise is currently in sight to resolve the issue within the given timeframe. “The aim is to clarify the situation regarding the failure to constitute the Assembly within the 30-day deadline and to determine how each constitutional institution exercises its competencies in the absence of a constituted Parliament. It must also be clarified what happens if the Assembly is constituted after July 26,” she added.

Furthermore, Osmani announced that she has requested a temporary measure to suspend the 30-day deadline. “This request aims to prevent institutions from entering an indefinite deadlock,” she said, adding that the suspension would remain in place until the Constitutional Court reaches a final decision on the matter.

According to her, this suspension would mean that Parliament would no longer be required to hold sessions every 48 hours.

The Requests Submitted by the President to the Constitutional Court:

I. To declare the request admissible;
II. To approve the request for a temporary measure;
III. To make a preventive (ex ante) assessment of the conflict of competencies between constitutional institutions in the event that the Assembly is constituted after the constitutional deadline;
IV. To resolve the constitutional conflict of competencies, including regarding the legal consequences of the failure to constitute the Assembly within the deadline set out in Article 66(1) of the Constitution and Judgment KO 124/25;
V. To resolve the constitutional conflict of competencies, including regarding the legal consequences of constituting the Assembly after the deadline set out in Article 66(1) of the Constitution and Judgment KO 124/25;
VI. To resolve the conflict of competencies, including regarding the consequences on the exercise of the competencies of the President of the Republic in relation to an Assembly that may be constituted after the deadline set out in Article 66(1) of the Constitution and Judgment KO 124/25;
VII. To clarify all other legal effects related to the failure to constitute the Assembly within the constitutional deadline.

Kryeziu responds to Osmani: Absurd, Constitutional Court didn't invent 30-day deadline (Reporteri)

Kadri Kryeziu, a former judge of the Constitutional Court, has voiced concerns regarding President Vjosa Osmani’s request to the Court seeking clarification on the legal consequences if the Kosovo Assembly is not constituted within the 30-day constitutional deadline. He described the request as surprising. According to him, the delay in submitting such a request is concerning and may suggest political maneuvering on Osmani’s part. “This request should have been made much earlier. It makes no sense for the President to wait until the last days to seek clarification on such an important issue that concerns all of Kosovo. This delay gives the impression of political tactics even by the President herself,” Kryeziu stated.

He also criticized the inclusion in the President’s request of a temporary measure to suspend the 30-day constitutional deadline for constituting the Assembly. “Such a request is wrong and absurd. The Constitutional Court has no authority to suspend a deadline that directly derives from the Constitution — specifically from Article 66. This deadline is not something the Court invented; it’s a constitutional norm and thus cannot be suspended by it,” he added.

Kryeziu emphasized that such a request contradicts the President’s constitutional obligation to ensure the normal functioning of institutions and could create a dangerous precedent in the constitutional system.

Meanwhile, the Presidency has argued that the request for a temporary measure aims to prevent an institutional blockade that could lead to actions outside the constitutional framework, especially given the absence of clear deadlines for how the Assembly should function if not constituted in time.

Hoxha after Vucic’s threats: We are prepared for any challenge (media)

Kosovo Police General Director Gazmend Hoxha said on Tuesday that Kosovo’s security institutions are aware about Serbia’s objectives and that they are prepared for any possible scenario. Hoxha made the remarks after a recent statement by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic who said that Serbia would react harshly after the arrest of deputy head of the Serbian government’s office for Kosovo Igor Popovic by Kosovo authorities. Hoxha said: “we know the objectives of Serbia’s policy, especially their institutions. They don’t want peace and security in our country. We are prepared for all challenges that can happen in our country”. He also said that the security situation throughout Kosovo is stable except for the north “because of Belgrade’s direct influence through criminal and extremist groups”.

Serbia deepens tensions, arrests another former KLA soldier (Klan)

Serbia has arrested on Tuesday another former soldier of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA). The Serbian media outlet Novosti reported that Lulzim Halili from Peja was arrested in an operation by the Serbian intelligence agency BIA, in cooperation with the Serbian police.

His arrest comes just days after Kosovo detained Serbian official Igor Popovic, who used offensive language against the KLA. According to reports, Halili has been given a 48-hour detention order, and his arrest took place in the city of Svilajnac, from where footage has also been released.

Bislimi meets Prattipati, discuss Growth Plan (media)

Caretaker Deputy Prime Minister Besnik Bislimi met with Chargé d’Affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Kosovo Anu Prattipati. According to the Prime Minister’s Office, the discussion focused on the Growth Plan. “The meeting addressed the political situation and developments in the country, and among other topics, the Growth Plan was discussed. Deputy Prime Minister Bislimi emphasized that the government continues to work on advancing the implementation of reforms, with the respective ministries remaining fully engaged,” the statement said.

Abdixhiku: ICJ opinion, international confirmation of Kosovo’s statehood (media)

Leader of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) Lumir Abdixhiku said on the 15^th anniversary of the International Court of Justice’s advisory opinion on Kosovo’s declaration independence, that the historical conclusion was a result of the committed work of the most professional people and the unconditional support of Kosovo’s allies led by the United States and EU member states. “The decision was not only a legal victory but also an international seal of legitimacy for Kosovo’s statehood, our historical and political right to be free and independent,” he said.

Haradinaj: ICJ ruling confirmed our ideal for freedom (media)

Leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) Ramush Haradinaj said on Tuesday that the ruling of the International Court of Justice in 2010 on Kosovo’s declaration of independence “is one of the most important events in Kosovo’s state-forming and state-building history. It sealed international justice on our ideal for freedom which came to life on February 17, 2008”. Haradinaj also said that “aligning with western values and Euro-Atlantic orientation must be our uncompromised objective. Partnership with the United States of America and the European Union is the only path to realizing our objectives as a state”.

US Embassy congratulates Kosovo police recruits (media)

The United States Embassy in Pristina said in a Facebook post on Tuesday that DOJ-ICITAP Attaché attended the graduation of 280 police recruits at the Youth and Sports Center in Pristina. “We congratulate the new officers as they take their first step to serving and protecting the citizens of Kosovo. A police officer’s oath is a pledge of honor, integrity, ethics, and dedication to public service. In safe communities, prosperity will flourish,” the post notes.

Serbian Language Media

Petkovic says five thousand Serbs in Kosovo to receive monthly amounts of 170 EUR as of autumn (Radio KIM)

Office for Kosovo and Metohija Director Petar Petkovic said as of autumn five thousand more Serbs from Kosovo will receive monthly amounts of 170 EUR, as financial aid from Serbia, Radio KIM reported.

"In addition to the fact that at beginning of this year we helped our people, and paid special attention to the most socially vulnerable allocating 20,000 RSD (170 EUR) each month for five thousand our people, as of autumn we are going with another such measure, by which we shall provide a monthly income of 20,000 dinars for another five thousand people in Kosovo", Petkovic said.

According to earlier announcements, as of February 2025, five thousands Serbs from Kosovo already started receiving monthly financial assistance in the amount of 170 EUR. As Radio KIM reported while Petkovic said there will be not a single Serb in Kosovo now who does not receive aid from Serbia, in recent months on social media and various conversations, one can hear numerous remarks from a part of the Serbian community claiming they have been excluded from receiving this type of aid.

Igor Popovic visited by parents in Gnjilane prison (Tanjug, media)

Serbian Government Office for Kosovo and Metohija Assistant Director Igor Popovic, who was recently arrested by Pristina authorities, received a visit from his parents in the Gjilane prison on Tuesday, Tanjug news agency reported.

Popovic was arrested at the Brnjak administrative crossing last Friday and placed in custody on Sunday for up to 30 days. He has been charged with allegedly causing discord and intolerance in a speech in Velika Hoca, at a memorial service for Serbs killed and kidnapped by KLA in the Orahovac municipality in 1998 and 1999.

His father Petar said Popovic had not insulted anyone and had just presented facts about actual events that no one had been held accountable for. "He is in that prison, he is being treated in a fair manner, he does not complain, and he is also receiving his regular therapy. He is holding well. He believes he did not do anything and that he did not make any insults," Petar Popovic said. He added his family had been shocked to learn of the arrest as his son had visited Kosovo on several occasions in the past without any problems.

One of Igor Popovic's lawyers, Dejan Vasic, said he and his colleagues had taken certain steps and were doing everything in their power to get his client released from custody. "I am certain that whatever Igor said at the Orahovac service does not represent a criminal offence", Vasic said.

Former KLA member arrested in Serbia (media)

In a joint action of the Security Information Agency (BIA), Service for War Crimes Investigations of the Interior Ministry and War Crimes Prosecution Lulzim Halili was arrested on Tuesday, in Svilajnac, central Serbia, Belgrade-based Novosti reported.

Halili, born on April 9, 1966 in Pec was arrested under suspicion of “committing crimes against humanity and war crimes in the territory of Kosovo”, Novosti added, citing their sources. Media reports also said “Halili was a prominent member of the Kosovo Liberation Army, active in the area of Pec, Pristina and Djakovica, among others in the attack on Army of Yugoslavia military barracks at Kosare”. He was placed under 48-hour detention.

Vucic: Accountability for destruction of Serbia (N1)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said that the people who destroyed the country and its institutions have to be held accountable and that officials who governed badly will be replaced, N1 reported.

He told Informer TV that it’s time for everyone who destroyed the education system, turned universities into ‘pigsties’, destroyed the country and its institutions over the past 7 months to answer. He added that the authorities will have to change and that everyone who governed badly in all communities and at the central level will have to be replaced in the shortest possible time.

According to Vucic, the state has defeated the people who invested huge money into destroying Serbia.

DefMin deploys new vehicles for UNIFIL contingent (N1)

The Serbian Defense Ministry said on Tuesday that new vehicles were being sent to reinforce the national contingent on a peace mission in Lebanon, N1 reported. The Toyota trucks and Serbian-made Milos armored vehicles with weapons and equipment will be shipped by train and truck through Croatia to Slovenia where they will load onto a ship to complete the trip. The new vehicles will replace M-86 armored vehicles and Puch SUVs which the Serbian military contingent has been using since 2013.

Preparations for the transport have taken a year with the United Nations engaging the German ITO Global Logistics company. Navy Captain Dusko Bodrozic from the Serbian Peace Operations Center said the new vehicles will upgrade security for Serbian military personnel in Lebanon.

According to the UNIFUL portal, Serbia has 182 personnel in the mission.

Zoran Sekulic, founder of first Serbian private independent news agency dies (media)

Zoran Sekulic, the man who launched Serbia’s first private independent news agency, died in Belgrade, his family said. Sekulic was a veteran of Socialist Yugoslavia’s Tanjug news agency before being forced to leave it at the start of the breakup of the former Yugoslavia. He went on to set up FoNet in 1994 as a small news agency producing written and audio reports.

According to Sekulic, some 700 journalists, photographers, videographers and others passed through FoNet. At his initiative, FoNet expanded into still photography and video reporting to become the first regional multi-media news agency.

Sekulic graduated from Belgrade University’s law school in 1981 and immediately went into journalism at Radio Belgrade before moving on to Tanjug where he spent the next 10 years. He was awarded the French Legion d’honneur as well as awards from the OSCE, Germany and the Knight of the Profession award by the Serbian League of Experts among others.

Opinion

Courage of Serbia’s young protesters must not be forgotten (Balkan Insight)

By Sofija Todorovic, Youth Initiative for Human Rights in Serbia Director

As protests continue in Serbia, we should not forget those who stood up first – and who have sacrificed the most in the struggle against corruption and injustice.

Since November 1, 2024, nothing has been the same in Serbia. Youth-led protests have stirred even the most apathetic corners of the country. The loudest demand has come from students and citizens, seeking accountability for the deaths of 16 people killed when the canopy of the newly opened railway station in Novi Sad collapsed.

I remember the first student protests vividly. They were determined not to give up, not to stay silent. As state repression intensified – along with repeated attacks on young people in the streets – students took the movement to the next level. Month after month, they made everyone see what they saw. It was remarkable to witness.

International Media

Kosovo President presses court to clarify consequences of parliamentary deadlock (Balkan Insight)

President Osmani asks the Constitutional Court to explain the legal steps, if MPs fail to inaugurate parliament beyond a July 26 deadline set by the court in June.

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani on Tuesday said she had asked the country’s Constitutional Court to review the consequences of MPs’ failure to constitute parliament within a 30-day deadline set by the court.

“In fulfillment of my constitutional responsibility to guarantee the functioning of the institutions, I have submitted a request [for it] to review the conflict of constitutional obstacles created by the absence of parliament’s inauguration,” Osmani told the media.