UNMIK Media Observer, Morning Edition, April 3, 2023

Protesters come out in support of Thaci, others on eve of war crimes trial (RFE)
Thousands rally in support of ex-Kosovo leader before war crimes trial (France24)
Thaci was a freedom fighter, not a war criminal: Defence Lawyer (BIRN)
U.S. and Germany condemn burning cars in the north (media)
Vela: Serbia, Serbian List will be responsible for any escalation (Reporteri)
Svecla: Serbia protects criminals who commit terrorist acts (media)
Stun grenade thrown at Kosovo police in the north (media)
Kosovo-Serbia tensions spike significantly over weekend (Euractiv)
Rama: We have major disagreements with Serbia over Kosovo (media)
Kosovo denied participation in Balkan Mathematical Olympiad, Serbia violates Ohrid agreement (media)
The importance of fact-checking and maintaining credibility in a world of virtual truths (Prishtina Insight)
Novice politician Jakov Milatovic wins Montenegro presidency (AP)

Protesters come out in support of Thaci, others on eve of war crimes trial (RFE)

Protesters took to the streets of Kosovo's capital in support of ex-President Hashim Thaci and other former Kosovo Liberation Army (UCK) leaders who are set to face trial on war crimes charges in The Hague beginning on April 3.

The protest, which drew thousands of supporters, was organized by the Freedom Has A Name group that has expressed support for the former leaders of the UCK, including Thaci, who was a leader of the guerrilla fighters.

Thaci became popular in the young country in the years following its independence declaration and went on to lead Kosovo as president and prime minister at different times.

He and three others are being held in The Hague pending the trial. They have denied the allegations.

"The epochal victories would have been impossible without the courage, struggle, and selflessness of the best boys and girls of the Kosovo Liberation Army of this country," said artist Eliza Hoxha, a speaker at the April 2 protest and a member of parliament with the Kosovo Democratic Party, Thaci's former party.

Read more at: https://bit.ly/3G6Enc3

U.S. and Germany condemn burning cars in the north (media)

United States Ambassador to Kosovo Jeff Hovenier has said that his country condemns the "criminal burning of cars in the north of Kosovo". “The U.S. condemns burning or destroying property and any effort to intimidate those with or intending to obtain RKS car plates under Kosovar law. These are cowardly and criminal acts. The U.S. has consistently condemned the criminal burning of vehicles in the north of Kosovo. The Government of Kosovo has a responsibility to protect its citizens and ensure accountability for these criminal acts,” he tweeted.

German Ambassador Jorn Rohde has expressed his concern with the fact that the Serbian List has not yet condemned the act of burning cars that had RKS license plates. “Why? Very worrying that the Serbian List again has not condemned the arson attacks on citizens’ vehicles. All have to be united in condemning this practice,” Rohde tweeted.

Vela: Serbia, Serbian List will be responsible for any escalation (Reporteri)

Several cars with RKS license plates have been set on fire, and attacks on police officials occurred in the recent days in Mitrovica north. In connection with these cases, the police have arrested M.B, who is also suspected of the armed attack on the Kosovo Police, where two policemen were injured. As a result of these developments, the high state officials of Serbia and the leaders of the Serbian List have warned of "resistance" if M.B. is not released.

Blerim Vela, Chief of Staff to Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani, reacted to these statements. “Formal head of Serbian List Rakic, next to Petkovic, threatens with "resistance and uprising" in Kosovo. However, no word of condemnation from Petkovic on burning of cars of local Serbs! Serbia and Serbian List threatened with violence. They'll be responsible for any escalation on the ground,” Vela tweeted.

Svecla: Serbia protects criminals who commit terrorist acts (media)

Kosovo’s Minister of Internal Affairs Xhelal Svecla has said that Serbia protects and glorifies criminals who commit terrorist acts in Kosovo. Through a post on Facebook, Svecla on Sunday wrote about Milovan Bozovic, known for Kosovo's security institutions.

"Milovan Bozovic is such. A figure known to the security institutions as a criminal, active member of the illegal structure "Civil Defense" and other criminal groups. The same is being considered as a hero for the structures of Serbia that have led him. For the skills shown in criminal actions, he is also among Milan Radoicic's close collaborators," Svecla wrote.

Further, he said that Bozovic "in addition to burning cars in the north, injuring members of the Kosovo Police, damaging our critical infrastructure, illegally crossing the border, beating Serb citizens, extortion and setting fire to local businesses, he has participated in the attacks on the houses and properties of the Serb members of the Kosovo Security Force, as well as suspected for murder of a member of EULEX."

"Any human being, not just public or political officials, would have distanced himself and condemned these activities for which Bozovic is accused of. But not the heads of institutions of Serbia and those of the Serbian List. In fact, it seems that his arrest and bringing him to justice has shaken the foundations of the Serbian List and the so-called office for Kosovo.”

“As seen yesterday, they are publicly using threatening language. They even call for insurrection and disobedience due to the arrest of a criminal recidivist. Last night, after these calls, members of our police were attacked with grenades in North Mitrovica," Svecla wrote.

Stun grenade thrown at Kosovo police in the north (media)

A stun grenade was thrown toward officers in Kosovo's Mitrovica district late Saturday, police said on Sunday. Investigators reached the site and initiated an inquiry into the incident that occurred at around 2.20 a.m. on Ivo Llola Ribar street. While the condition of the officers attacked was not mentioned, the press release said prosecutors had registered a criminal case and ordered an investigation.

Kosovo-Serbia tensions spike significantly over weekend (Euractiv)

Tensions between Kosovo and Serbia flared once again over the weekend after a Kosovo Serb was arrested for setting fire to ethnic-Serb-owned cars that switched to Kosovo number plates.

In 2022, the government in Pristina announced that all vehicles belonging to Kosovo citizens must have Pristina-issued plates. The decision caused outrage from the Serb minority in the north of the country, who continue to use Serbia-issued plates and do not recognise Kosovo’s independence.

But over the last week, several vehicles that did make the switch were set on fire. Police arrested an individual on suspicion of arson, but also for an attack on a Kosovo police unit, being a member of a criminal group, assault of a public official, and attempted murder.

Kosovo police said the arrest came after “intensive investigations by relevant police units” in a bid to fight organised crime and prevent further criminal acts.

But the arrest was not well received by Serbian List, the ethnic-Serb political party in Kosovo.

“After collecting information about today’s abduction of Serbs by Kurti’s special forces, we would like to emphasise that the Serbian people are warning Pristina that if they do not release the unjustly arrested person and do not stop harassing Serbian people, it will provoke a reaction from all Serbs.”

They continued in a statement that it would not be “some warning”, but rather an uprising against what they call Prime Minister Albin Kurti’s “repression of innocent citizens.”

Serbia’s Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic on Sunday accused the Kosovo government of creating a new crisis and wanting to “avoid the obligations” it made during the EU-facilitated dialogue.

“This is a true indicator of their clear intention that they do not want peace and that they are trying to avoid the obligations that they undertook in Ohrid, among other things…It is very clear that an old situation is on the horizon, and a new crisis produced by Pristina,” said Dacic.

He called on the international community to “react urgently” and “stop Albin Kurti”.

In the early hours of Sunday, police officers were attacked with an explosive device in North Mitrovica, one of the Serb-majority areas. The police reported a device was thrown at them and an investigation is ongoing.

Read more at: https://bit.ly/40Nw1hO

Rama: We have major disagreements with Serbia over Kosovo (media)

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama during a joint press conference with Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vucic in Italy, where the "Open Balkan" summer fair is being held, said that the biggest disagreements between Albania and Serbia arise when talking about Kosovo.

"If we had continued not to speak to each other and remained at the barricades of the past, today we could have been in a very bad position with all the crises that have unfolded only on the borders of Europe. Obviously we have a big disagreement or a big distance when it comes to what you call Kosovo and Metohia and I call it Kosovo. This is a reason to speak more," he said.

Rama also spoke about the meeting he had a few days ago in Tirana with Prime Minister Kurti, where he revealed that he was more open and constructive than before. "I met with Kurti a few days ago and he is more open and constructive than before. I told him and I repeat that we must encourage and make sure that the Association and the religious aspect of the dialogue are guaranteed 100% for the Serb citizens in Kosovo who are a minority and should be seen as a bridge to the future, not a problem between all of us in the future. These are no longer a taboo, but I told him that he has our full support to move forward and leave the past behind," Rama said.

Kosovo denied participation in Balkan Mathematical Olympiad, Serbia violates Ohrid agreement (media)

On March 27, 2023, the Association of Mathematicians of Kosovo applied to MASSEE (The Mathematical Society of South Eastern Europe) to enable students from Kosovo to participate in the Balkan Mathematical Olympiad (BMO).

Kosovo has tried to become a member of MASSEE before, but unfortunately the requests have been repeatedly rejected due to the blocking approach of the representatives of Serbia in MASSEE.

The Association of Mathematicians of Kosovo has applied this year to MASSE, for participation in BMO, in the hope that the last agreement between Kosovo and Serbia will be respected, where it is clearly stated that Serbia will not hinder Kosovo's membership in any regional or international organization.

"But unfortunately, the representatives of Serbia refuse to respect this agreement, even though the European Union is the guarantor of its implementation," it is further stated in the announcement of the Association of Mathematicians of Kosovo.

The importance of fact-checking and maintaining credibility in a world of virtual truths (Prishtina Insight)

On the International Fact-Checking Day, the executive director of Internews Kosova and founder of KALLXO.com, Faik Ispahiu, in this editorial brings his thoughts on the challenges, dilemmas and success of the organization in fighting disinformation and fake news.

It is not easy to speak about KALLXO’s and Internews Kosova’s achievements in the field of fact-checking, not because we do not have what to say—on the contrary— we got used to work, and let our work speak for itself. More than 1,100 fact-checking articles, thousands of investigative articles and TV programs with the highest credibility speak for themselves.

We do not have much time left to talk about the achievements, because the volume of work we have set for ourselves is extremely high.

In the spirit of this conference, it is important to share two things with you. First, the lessons learned from twenty-five years of media development, investigative journalism and more recently fact-checking, and second, the dilemmas of how and where to go in the future, seeing the current trends in the Kosovar society and culture, but also in that of the region and the world.

Experience has taught us that credibility is one of the main factors in the work of informing, reporting and generating constructive public debate, insisting on accountability and transparency.