Albanian Language Media:

• Court postpones execution of ministry’s decision on Klan Kosova (Telegrafi)
• Journalists’ Association welcomes court’s decision in favour of Klan Kosova (media)
• EFJ welcomes court’s injunction to stop govt from shutting down Klan Kosova (media)
• ECPMF asks IMC not to take action on Klan Kosova before final court decision (media)
• Osmani: Presence of U.S. Army in Kosovo, guarantee of stability and security (media)
• Citaku calls on prosecution to investigate “government corruption, scandals” (media)
• Hoti: Total failure in terms of capital investments (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Vucevic: No de-escalation in Kosovo because Pristina lacks will for it (Tanjug)
• Vucic, Dodik and Patriarch Porfirije meet at Osovica Monastery, discuss most important national issues (RTS)
• Two Serbs arrested at Jarinje in May to be released on bail, banned from entering Kosovo for three years (KoSSev)
• Petkovic thanks Chen Bo for consistent support to Serbia’s territorial integrity and sovereignty (Kosovo Online)
• Simic says challenging times ahead (Kosovo Online)

International:

• Anonymous Online Videos Target Serbian-Language Media in Kosovo (Balkan Insight)

 

 

Albanian Language Media  

 

Court postpones execution of ministry’s decision on Klan Kosova (Telegrafi)

The Commercial Court of Kosovo decided to postpone the execution of decisions related to the Klan Kosova case. A decision by the court notes that it has approved the request of Klan Kosova to postpone the decision and that it postpones the execution of the decision of the Appeals Review Committee for the Registration of Business and the decision issued by the General Directorate of the Kosovo Business Registration Agency, until the court make a final decision on the matter. The Commercial Court also said that Klan Kosova “has made the necessary changes in the trade association registered in North Macedonia”.

Journalists’ Association welcomes court’s decision in favour of Klan Kosova (media)

The Association of Journalists of Kosovo said in a statement today that it welcomes the decision of the Commercial Court which approved the complaint of Klan Kosova to postpone the execution of decisions of the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Entrepreneurship to suspend their business certificate.

“Today’s decision enables Klan Kosova TV station to continue its work, despite the Kosovo government’s decision to close it. The AJK will closely monitor the ensuing procedures, with the hope that a fast epilogue will end this episode of the government’s effort to undermine the freedom of media in Kosovo,” the association said.

EFJ welcomes court’s injunction to stop govt from shutting down Klan Kosova (media)

General Secretary of the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), Ricardo Gutierrez, said in a Twitter post that they welcome “the Court's injunction to stop the government from shutting down Klan Kosova. This interim decision protects media pluralism and counters the government's attempts to undermine media freedom”.

ECPMF asks IMC not to take action on Klan Kosova before final court decision (media)

The European Center for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF) said in a Facebook post today that it “welcomes the Kosovo Court’s injunction to stop the government from shutting down Klan Kosova. This interim decision protects media pluralism and counters the government's attempts to undermine press freedom. We ask the Independent Media Commission not to take any action before the final court decision. We will continue to closely monitor the case while remaining deeply worried and dismayed with Kosovo's government's approach towards media and journalists.”

Osmani: Presence of U.S. Army in Kosovo, guarantee of stability and security (media)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani stayed at the U.S. military camp Bondsteel this morning where she attended the change of command there. “The presence of the U.S. Army in Kosovo is a guarantee of stability and security in our country,” Osmani wrote in a Facebook post.

Citaku calls on prosecution to investigate “government corruption, scandals” (media)

Deputy leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), Vlora Citaku, told a press conference in Pristina today that the Kurti-led government is characterised by corruption and affairs that have affected the majority of sectors and institutions. She argued that the government and Prime Minister’s defence of such affairs is meaningless, and that the prosecution should investigate every case reported in the media.

“As you have seen during this time, this government’s album of corruption is getting richer by the day. Media reports show that exponents of the party-state have spread their corruption network in every sector, including the basic commodities: electricity, grain, and oil. Yesterday, we saw reports about the abuse of funds that are destined for communities, and it was revealed that the people who benefited from the funds are relatives of ministers in the government,” she said.

“Faced with all this situation, more scandalous than the affairs were the reactions from Prime Minister Kurti and exponents of the government. In the best case there was indifference and ignorance, whereas in the worst case there was an unexplainable defence for people involved in corruption and a hysterical attack against the prosecution and the media. We call on law enforcement institutions, the police, and the prosecution, to urgently investigate all the affairs of this government and not to allow evidence to be destroyed,” Citaku said.

Hoti: Total failure in terms of capital investments (media)

MP from the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), Avdullah Hoti, said today that the Kurti-led government has failed in terms of capital investments and that 70 percent of the projects foreseen for this year haven't even started. Hoti argued that in the period January-June only 18 percent of the budget for capital investments has been spent and that like the last two years this year too the economy will be lacking hundreds of millions of euros “in the absence of the implementation of capital investments”.

Two Serbs arrested for riots in north banned from entering Kosovo for three years (Koha)

The Basic Court in Pristina has banned two Serbs, who were earlier arrested for organising the riots in the north in late May, from entering Kosovo for three years. Sinisa Jevtic and Ivan Sekulic were also sentenced with six months in prison each, a measure that was replaced with a fine of €7,000 each. Jevtic and Sekulic were convicted for “participation in a mob” and “hooliganism”. Sekulic was also fined €2,000 for the illegal possession of arms. 

 

 

Serbian Language Media

 

Vucevic: No de-escalation in Kosovo because Pristina lacks will for it (Tanjug)

Serbian Defence Minister Milos Vucevic said on Thursday there was no de-escalation in Kosovo because Pristina lacked the will for it, Tanjug news agency reports.

Speaking to Pink TV, Vucevic said Serbia had done nothing to escalate the situation in Kosovo and that it had sent messages about demonstrating good will.

"If anyone has been more tolerant than it is normal, those are Kosovo and Metohija Serbs and Serbia. If anyone has been sending messages aimed at calming the situation, demonstrating good will and seeking compromise, it is the Serbian side", he said.

Meanwhile, Pristina Prime Minister Albin Kurti's regime continues to stick to its agenda - ethnic cleansing of Serbs and constant intimidation, arrests and expulsion aimed at creating an atmosphere in which Serbs would no longer be able to survive in the territory - Vucevic said.

Vucic, Dodik and Patriarch Porfirije meet at Osovica Monastery, discuss most important national issues (RTS)

Serbian President, Aleksandar Vucic, President of Republic of Srpska (B&H Serb-majority entity) Milorad Dodik and Serbian Orthodox Church Patriarch Porfirije met in Osovica Monastery in Republic of Srpska to discuss the most important national issues, RTS reports.

The meeting takes place without the presence of the media and it is also expected that topics of the conversation will include the situation in Kosovo and expectations of major world powers from the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue.

Also, it is expected that strong pressure on the Republic of Srpska leadership, which was included on the US sanctions list, will be discussed, same as attempts of some Western states and Bosniak political cycles to accuse Banja Luka for undermining Dayton Peace Accord, RTS said. 

Two Serbs arrested at Jarinje in May to be released on bail, banned from entering Kosovo for three years (KoSSev)

Serbs S.J. and I.S., arrested at the end of May this year at Jarinje crossing point will be released during the day, after their families through the lawyers place the bails. Also, they are banned from entering Kosovo for the period of three years, KoSSev portal reports.

Defence lawyer of S.J. Milos Delevic told the portal his client will be released during the day after he places the bail of 5.700 euros to Kosovo judicial bodies.

S.I. was sentenced to six months in prison, the sentence was commuted to financial fine. He is banned from entering Kosovo for three years.

As far as I.S. is concerned he is also sentenced to six months in prison, the sentence commuted to a financial fine of 9.000 euros. He is also banned from entering Kosovo in the period of three years. His detention has been revoked already, his defence lawyer Ljubomir Pantovic said. 

Petkovic thanks Chen Bo for consistent support to Serbia’s territorial integrity and sovereignty (Kosovo Online)

Office for Kosovo and Metohija Director Petar Petkovic thanked outgoing Ambassador of China Chen Bo for consistent support to the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Serbia, as well as for continuous, genuine and friendly support to Serbia in international arena, in particular for insisting that Resolution 1244 is fully respected, Kosovo Online portal reports.

Petkovic who received Chen Bo for a farewell visit thanked the ambassador for her efforts invested in fostering cooperation between Serbia and China in many fields, stressing that particular impetus to the comprehensive, strategic partnership between two states was given by friendly relations of President Aleksandar Vucic and Xi Jinping.

The two officials also exchanged the views on modalities on how to further advance relations between Serbia and China. 

Simic says challenging times ahead (Kosovo Online)

Upcoming period could be very challenging for Serbs in Kosovo because there was a real danger that Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti would take another action that could further complicate the situation on the ground, Vice-President of the Serbian List, Igor Simic, told Kosovo Online.

In an interview for Kosovo Online, Simic pointed out that this was precisely why the visit of the representatives of the Serbian List to Washington had been important, because they warned their hosts of the consequences of Kurti's possible moves and that only they could stop the opening of a new hot spot on the soil of Europe and guarantee the safety of the Serbs.

Read the full interview at: https://tinyurl.com/4vw4y6xt

 

 

International 

 

Anonymous Online Videos Target Serbian-Language Media in Kosovo (Balkan Insight)

Days after videos targeting media outlets critical of the Serbian government were posted on social media, another anonymous online video campaign started against Serbian-language media operating in Kosovo.

The Independent Association of Serbian Journalists, NUNS on Wednesday condemned an online campaign targeting Serbian-language media operating in Kosovo.

Anonymous videos posted on a Telegram channel targeted news websites KosSev and Kosovo Online, radio stations Kontakt Plus and Kosovska Mitrovica and television station TV Most, claiming that they are pro-NATO, an intended insult.

The video posts said that the media outlets “persistently talk about how they are objective and ‘honest’”, but claimed “they have been broadcasting NATO and KFOR [NATO’s Kosovo force] commercials for years”.

Read more at: https://rb.gy/7dwli