UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, August 20, 2024

Albanian Language Media:

Osmani meets Ruge; “gratitude for NATO’s ongoing contribution” (media)
Osmani: I know Vucic was directly involved in ordering attack in Banjska (media)
Stano: EU has not changed position on opening of Iber bridge (media)
“After Krasniqi indictment, PDK wants investigation into energy mafia” (media)
Hoti: Assembly to stop degradation of RTK; opposition must take action (media)
COMKFOR meets NATO Assistant Secretary General Boris Ruge (media)
Atiq: Fence around building of Mitrovica North municipality removed (media)
KFOR Italian soldiers patrol ABL in Istog municipality (media)
Special Prosecutor's Office begins to interview Sami Kurteshi (EO)
“Death to Albanians, Kosovo is Serbia” written at Bujanovac health center (Koha)

Serbian Language Media:

Djuric: Two Serbian embassies in Europe received threats; heightened security measures (Tanjug, RTS, TV Pink, media)
Former KFOR officer in trial to Thaci: Torture room found at KLA HQ in Gnjilane in 1999 (KoSSev, BETA)
Arsenijevic apprehended again because he whistled at ministers from Pristina (KoSSev, Radio kontakt plus, media)
Arsenijevic after arrest: Whistles in hands, so next time there is no peace for people, let there be no peace for authorities as well (KoSSev, social media)
UNS: 26 years since kidnapping of journalists Slavuj and Perenic, their whereabouts still unknown (UNS, media)
Gogic: The US has already interfered in Kosovo elections; Hamza and Kasanof meeting a message to Kurti (Kosovo Online)
British Ambassador believes Serbia can develop Jadar project safely (N1, BETA)

International:

Reopening Of Mitrovica Bridge Long Overdue But Must Be Done In Consultation With Allies, Says Kosovo's President (RFE)
The silent nightmare of Balkan depopulation (euobserver.com)

Albanian Language Media

Osmani meets Ruge; “gratitude for NATO’s ongoing contribution” (media)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani met today in Pristina with NATO Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs and Security Policy, Boris Ruge, and “reiterated Kosovo’s gratitude for NATO's ongoing contribution, as well as our commitment to joining NATO”. She said that “Kosovo stands ready to contribute to transatlantic unity in defending our shared values of peace, democracy, and freedom”.

A press release issued by Osmani’s office notes that “the issue of the opening of the Iber bridge was also discussed at the meeting, with President Osmani stating that the opening of the bridge, as an act of normalization and integration, is in the interest of all citizens irrespective of their ethnicity. President Osmani also mentioned the importance of consultation and coordination between our institutions and our security partners, especially NATO, in order to build a joint implementation plan for the opening of the bridge”.

“Osmani congratulated Ruge on the successful NATO summit held in Washington D.C., were the Republic of Kosovo was, at the invitation of President Biden and Secretary Blinken, included for the first time in a series of activities within the summit, where the transatlantic unity and joint support for Ukraine was reaffirmed,” the press release concludes.

Osmani: I know Vucic was directly involved in ordering attack in Banjska (media)

Several news websites highlight a statement by Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani in an interview with Radio Free Europe, that “this is not a political assumption. I know that [Serbian President] Aleksandar Vucic was directly involved in ordering the attack in Banjska”. She added that Kosovo’s partners in NATO and other Balkans countries also know this.

Osmani also said that in Kosovo there are still people that try to hide the weapons of those that carried out the attack in Banjska in September last year. “The weapons are hidden by certain people in the north that cooperate with gangs in Serbia,” she was quoted as saying.

Stano: EU has not changed position on opening of Iber bridge (media)

Spokesperson for the European Union, Peter Stano, said today that the EU has not changed its position about the opening of the Iber bridge in Mitrovica. He told a press conference that there are ongoing discussions on the issue and that the Kosovo government should avoid “unilateral and uncoordinated actions”.

“The position of the European Union on the bridge has been made clear in the past days and weeks, and was communicated to our partners in Pristina, and was extensively discussed with all other partners in the EU, with the U.S. and KFOR. The position of the EU has not changed. There is nothing new to add, I can only reiterate that there are ongoing discussions and interactions on this topic, in line with the EU’s position that unilateral and uncoordinated actions must be avoided and that this issue should be discussed within the dialogue. This is the standpoint of all partners and allies of Kosovo,” Stano said.

Stano also said that “Kosovo’s authorities would do a great service to themselves and their citizens if they would listen and heed the messages from partners and allies. We prefer not to speculate on what if scenarios. We are engaged with partners, in Kosovo and the international community, to avoid any unilateral and uncoordinated step that can have a very negative impact and consequences, not only on the affected communities, but also on the Kosovo administration and the government in Pristina”.

“After Krasniqi indictment, PDK wants investigation into energy mafia” (media)

Secretary General of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) Vlora Citaku, following the indictment against former chief executive officer of the Kosovo Power Corporation, Nagip Krasniqi, for abuse of position, said that accountability must be sought for anyone that could have been involved in the case.

Citaku told a press conference that the PDK supports judicial bodies which have taken over revealing abuses worth millions in the energy area in the last three years. “All senior officials, ministers and ambassadors, under whose surveillance the scandals happened, did not resign. Therefore, today, the Democratic Party of Kosovo wants full accountability and responsibility from all the actors involved not only in these scandals, but also in all other scandals, including the energy, the state reserves, the failure to declare wealth, and diplomatic scandals,” she argued.

Citaku also said that Krasniqi’s arrest was the tip of an iceberg which includes “important members of this government and which resembles an energy mafia”.

Hoti: Assembly to stop degradation of RTK; opposition must take action (media)

MP from the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), Avdullah Hoti, said in a Facebook post today that “the tendency to use the public broadcaster against critical journalism needs to get a response according to the constitution and the law. It is clear that the board and management of the Radio Television of Kosovo have neither the power nor the readiness to deal with the created situation”.

Hoti called on the Kosovo Assembly to stop what he called “degradation” of the RTK. “It is the state obligation of the opposition in particular to undertake constitutional and legal actions, in the Assembly and outside it, to stop the leadership of the public broadcaster by ‘Kurti’s political commissioners’ and their puppets installed at the board and management of the RTK”.

COMKFOR meets NATO Assistant Secretary General Boris Ruge (media)

Commander of NATO’s peacekeeping troops in Kosovo, KFOR, Major General Ozkan Ulutas, met on Monday with the Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs and Security Policy, Ambassador Boris Ruge, at KFOR Headquarters, in Camp Film City, in Pristina. A statement by KFOR notes that “they exchanged views on a range of topics, including the latest security trends, KFOR's activities under its UN mandate, and its support to the EU-facilitated dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina”.

Atiq: Fence around building of Mitrovica North municipality removed (media)

Mayor of Mitrovica North municipality, Erden Atiq, said in a Facebook post today that after a professional assessment that the security situation in Mitrovica North has improved visibly, the fence around the municipal building has been removed. “There should not be and there will not be barriers between those that serve the citizens and the citizens. We will continue every day to serve the citizens with commitment and without any differences,” he said.

KFOR Italian soldiers patrol ABL in Istog municipality (media)

Several news websites cover a post by KFOR on Facebook which notes that “Italian soldiers assigned to Regional Command West of the NATO-led KFOR conducted regular patrols along the administrative border line in the municipality of Istog/Istok. These patrols are part of KFOR's daily activities to ensure a safe and secure environment and freedom of movement for the benefit of all communities living in Kosovo”.

Special Prosecutor's Office begins to interview Sami Kurteshi (EO)

The Special Prosecutor's Office has invited for an interview the member of the Vetevendosje Movement, Sami Kurteshi regarding his statements about the case of Astri Dehari. His interview is related to the accusations made in a media conference, where Kurteshi implicated the KIA, the Police, the Prosecutor's Office for the arrests of LVV activists for the attack against the Assembly of Kosovo. According to him, the order had come directly from the former president Hashim Thaci and the former speaker of parliament, Kadri Veseli.

“Death to Albanians, Kosovo is Serbia” written at Bujanovac health center (Koha)

A slogan saying “Death to Albanians, Kosovo is Serbia” was written at the entrance of the health center in Bujanovac, in Serbia. Former chairman of the Albanian National Council in Presevo Valley, Ragmi Mustafi, said that slogan is a sign of intentional increase of hate speech. “This is no coincidence, but an intentional escalation of hate speech, which comes after several similar graffiti written at the entrance of this institution several days ago,” he said.

According to Mustafi, the failure of the Serbian prosecution and police to react to the threats show that “the heads of Serbian institutions are legitimizing the acts of violence and hatred”.

“This situation is nothing but a preparation for future repressive actions against the Albanians in Presevo Valley,” he said.

Serbian Language Media

Djuric: Two Serbian embassies in Europe received threats; heightened security measures (Tanjug, RTS, TV Pink, media)

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Serbia, Marko Djuric told TV Pink that two Serbia's embassies in major European capitals have received threats in the previous 24 hours, announcing that they will be the target of terrorist attacks, reported RTS. Djuric stated that according to preliminary information, these threats come from ''extreme separatist circles of part of our diaspora from Kosovo and Metohija, that is from persons of Albanian nationality''.

"In cooperation with other European security authorities, we are working to prevent and remove these threats, but I mention this because someone from Pristina has been systematically working for years to create a climate in which an attack on everything Serbian is acceptable," Djuric told TV Pink.

He added that he does not want to give details without consulting the security authorities, because, as he said, he did not want to worsen the situation, but that he could say that security measures have been increased this morning in part of our diplomatic and consular missions in Europe.

"At least one perpetrator of these threats has been identified. It's just, you know how they do it, it's a script that's been seen before, in the 80s and 90s. They pick a person who, for example, has a history of mental problems, then they put him out front, to make that person avoid legal responsibility and the hand of the law, and organized groups that act with political motivation are often hidden in the background," said Djuric, reported RTS.

Former KFOR officer in trial to Thaci: Torture room found at KLA HQ in Gnjilane in 1999 (KoSSev, BETA)

In the continuation of the process against former KLA leader Hashim Thaci and co-defendants for the war crimes in Kosovo and Albania, former US KFOR member Steve Russel testified that KFOR in the summer 1999 found “torture room” for detainees in illegal KLA HQ in Gnjilane, KoSSev portal reported.

Former KLA leaders Kadri Veseli, Rexhep Selimi and Jakup Krasniqi are co-defendants in a trial to Thaci, for the crimes committed against Albanians, Serbs, and Roma in more than 40 KLA prison camps. All of them were leading members of KLA HQ at the time, and after that members of “the provisional Kosovo government”.

Russell who was US KFOR operational officer said international forces carried out an action on August 9, 1999 in the dormitory facility in Gnjilane, where contrary to Kumanovo Agreement and UNSC Resolution 1244 illegal KLA HQ was located. In addition to significant quantity of ammunition, weapons, mines and other equipment, which KLA based on agreement, had to hand over, KFOR, as Russell said, also found “torture room” in the dormitory facility.

In a basement of the facility a chair was found and “very fresh stains” of blood around it, same as “sharp instruments, different bats, pipes, electric wires”. According to an indictment at this place in July 1999 Mirko Jovic and Dzemo Zuljic were murdered.

Other detainees the indictment reads “were seriously beaten up and tortured psychologically” by KLA members by “hitting them everywhere with bats and sticks, kicking them and threatening them with violence and death”.

Russell said he showed the “torture room” to KLA commander of “the Karadak operational zone” Ahmet Isufi, but that Isufi did not provide concrete answer as to what happened there, and was only attempting “to buy some time”.

US KFOR then arrested 10 KLA members, which Isufi opposed, same as the gathered Albanian population, who protested against international forces the day after.

Russell also said arrested KLA members were identified in a photo by an Albanian woman who was tortured in the basement of the dormitory. He also said KFOR members were shocked by what they found on the side they cooperate with.

In addition to evidence of the crimes, KFOR discovered back then an “illegal police unit” of KLA called “Black Shirts”, Russell specified. He also said KLA commander Isufi “never admitted those accusations” nor undertook disciplinary measures against perpetrators.

Russell added that KFOR in mid July 1999 rescued Velibor Stojanovic from Silovo village, who was kidnapped by KLA and transferred to Malisevo. While in a detention camp, Stojanovic was forced to sign a “false confession” and listed the names of local Serbs who were allegedly armed. “This would serve (to KLA) to target or kidnap those people from the list”, Russell said.

His testimony continues today.

Arsenijevic apprehended again because he whistled at ministers from Pristina (KoSSev, Radio kontakt plus, media)

Leader of the Serbian Democracy Aleksandar Arsenijevic was taken to the Kosovo police station in Mitrovica North today again, KoSSev portal reported, adding it had been confirmed by police.

He was apprehended because during today’s visit of Kosovo ministers from Pristina to Mitrovica North he whistled. According to the police he will be released soon and a financial fine will be issued to him for “obstructing public peace and order”.

New visit of three ministers from Pristina took place in Mitrovica North today – Xhelal Svecla, Albert Krasniqi and Albulena Haxhiu. Serbian media had not been informed of this visit, the portal said, adding that based on its findings it started first with the visit to current Albanian mayor in Mitrovica North, Erden Atiq office, with a walk to the so-called military overhaul spot near the bust station, then the pedestrian zone to the main bridge, with possibility of going again to the municipal building.

KoSSev portal reported later that Arsenijevic was released upon a fine was issued to him. Radio kontakt plus meanwhile reported that after leaving the police station in Mitrovica North, Arsenijevic said he is accused of “obstructing public peace and order”. Together with his colleagues from Serbian Democracy, Ivan Orlovic and Stefan Veljkovic he then headed towards the center of Mitrovica North, whistling all the time. In an address to the media in the center of the town, Arsenijevic said he does not plan to pay the fine issued to him, announcing appeal as it was issued to him without any grounds. The ministers after the walk in Mitrovica North, left heading towards Mitrovica South.

Arsenijevic after arrest: Whistles in hands, so next time there is no peace for people, let there be no peace for authorities as well (KoSSev, social media)

Serbian Democracy leader Aleksandar Arsenijevic was detained briefly by Kosovo police today near the Tzar Lazar Monument after he blew his whistle during today's visit of ministers from Pristina to North Mitrovica, as a sign of protest. He was soon released after being fined for disturbing public order and peace, KoSSev portal reported.

When the portal asked Kosovo police deputy commander for the North region, Veton Elshani what kind of offense did Arsenijevic commit, he confirmed Arsenijevic blew the whistle and made noise, and that it, as he said, disturbed public order and peace. To the question of the portal as to what they qualified as a disturbance of public order and peace if it is about civil liberties and democratic expression of opinion, Elshani responded "well, he can complain, so we'll see."

Should we calmly pass by and smile at him when he comes and drinks coffee here? I don't think so

Arsenijevic also said he would not pay the fine as it was issued to him without any grounds. He added an autocracy reigns in Kosovo today "as you get arrested because of one whistle".

Asked to explain the reason for the protest, that is, why he blew the whistle, he said it was the visit of a minister whose statements and actions were directed against Serbs.

"That minister who comes here, with his statements, who comes here to personally paint over our national symbols with Mr. Atiq, to erase us like that, and then he should pass peacefully among us, and that we obey him? But his policy is directed against the Serbs, the Serbian community in Kosovo", he said.

“Should we calmly walk by and smile at him when he comes and drinks coffee here? I don't think so”, he added.

Arsenijevic added he is of the opinion that he is speaking on behalf of a large group of people in the North. "Whistles in the hands, so next time there is no peace for people, let there be no peace for the authorities as well", he said.

Veljkovic: Svecla brags about Albanian shops in north, as if they have ethnic affiliation

Stefan Veljkovic, deputy leader of Serbian Democracy also criticized the head of the Kosovo Ministry of Internal Affairs, Xhelal Svecla for what he said were "chauvinist statements".

"One should also emphasize the chauvinistic statements of Mr. Svecla, who brags about the fact that there are Albanian shops in the north, as if the shops have some national affiliation. So that's one of the reasons why we oppose the way he behaves", Veljkovic said.

Finally, after Arsenijevic's first arrest on August 8, he added that hundreds of people came forward demanding a protest be organized in front of the police station because of this arrest.

UNS: 26 years since kidnapping of journalists Slavuj and Perenic, their whereabouts still unknown (UNS, media)

Tomorrow marks 26 years since the abduction of Radio Pristina journalist team Djuro Slavuj and Ranko Perenic on the Velika Hoca-Zociste road, in Orahovac municipality, the Association of Journalists of Serbia (UNS) and its branch in Kosovo (DNKiM) said. They also underlined in a statement that their families still have no official information about the fate of their loved ones.

On August 21, 1998, Slavuj and Perenic headed towards Holly Healers Monastery in Zociste to do a news report on the return of kidnapped monks. They were seen in Velika Hoca, in the morning hours on that day, from where they mistakenly headed towards Orahovac, which was under KLA control at that time.

At the place of abduction, UNS and DNKiM placed a memorial plaque, which has been demolished nine times so far, reading in the Serbian and Albanian the following - At this place on August 21, 1998 journalists went missing. We are looking for them.

"EULEX in 2017 confirmed that Perenic and Slavuj were abducted by KLA members, that is, they threatened them with weapons and led them in an unknown direction. In the midst of the war in Kosovo and Metohija, many other journalists were also kidnapped, and official information about their disappearance is still unknown to the public”, the UNS statement recalled, listing details of the cases of killed and kidnapped media workers in Kosovo prior and after the conflict.

Gogic: The US has already interfered in Kosovo elections; Hamza and Kasanof meeting a message to Kurti (Kosovo Online)

“If Albin Kurti isn't cooperative, the Americans will find someone who is,” political scientist Ognjen Gogic says, commenting for Kosovo Online on the recent meeting between PDK candidate Bedri Hamza and the US Special Envoy for the Western Balkans, Alexander Kasanof. He believes that this meeting is “more than just a message” to Kurti, as the US has previously interfered in elections in Kosovo.

Gogic notes that it is not unusual for US officials to maintain contacts with various political leaders in Kosovo since they have generally nurtured the local political elite, excluding the Self-Determination movement but primarily including the PDK. However, he finds it unusual that Hamza met with officials that Kurti did not.

Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/wwt2s6vt

British Ambassador believes Serbia can develop Jadar project safely (N1, BETA)

British Ambassador to Serbia Edward Ferguson replied to an open letter from a group of Chevening alumni voicing concerns over lithium mining in Serbia thanking them for their engagement with such an important issue, BETA news agency reported.

The ambassador said that, while he agreed with the alumni’s remarks contained in the letter that the highest standards have not always been applied in other mines in Serbia and while he was not an expert, he wanted to state that the assurances he personally received from the management and geology experts of Rio Tinto and the firm guarantees provided by the European Union (EU) in environment protection strengthened his belief that Serbia could safely and responsibly develop the Jadar project with the help of its European partners.