UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, December 3, 2024

Albanian Language Media:

Kurti: Slovenia, a model for countries of former Yugoslavia (media)
Maqedonci: KSF is not forbidden in the north, but coordination is required (media)
New head of European Council to host Balkan leaders today (media)
Prosecutorial Council and Office of Chief State Prosecutor react to Kurti (media)
One month detention for suspect in Iber-Lepenc attack (media)
Serwer: We’ve seen a series of attacks against Kosovo (media)
Chief prosecutor in Belgrade: Decision on indictment for Radoicic soon (media)
Education union head warns with mass protest (media)
Prevent: Some Telegram channels promote actions against Police and KFOR (Koha)

Serbian Language Media:

Arsenijevic terms Selim Pacolli’s posts as ‘open call for ethnic cleansing and hate speech’, Raska-Prizren Eparchy expresses grave concerns (KoSSev, media)
Aleksandar Arsenijevic files criminal report against Selim Pacolli (social media)
Visoki Decani Monastery on Selim Pacolli’s posts (social media)
Residents of North Mitrovica on increased presence of special units: repression and pressure (Kosovo Online)
Jevtic: Events in north part of Kurti's long-term strategy to displace Serbs (media)
Arsenijevic: Key people in Kosovo Government need to resign over explosion at Ibar-Lepenac water canal (Danas, FoNet)
Vucic: Important meetings ahead in Brussels, Zurich and Berne (Tanjug)

International:

Legal experts sound alarm over ‘rushed’ Serbian criminal code changes (BIRN)
Trump 2.0 and the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue: Anticipating the unpredictable (Sbunker.org)

Albanian Language Media

Kurti: Slovenia, a model for countries of former Yugoslavia (media)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti said in a post on X on Monday that he regretted not being able to attend the early celebration of Slovenia’s Independence and Unity Day hosted by the Slovenian Embassy in Kosovo. “December 26th, beyond its importance to the Slovenian people, also stands as a model for the countries of the former Yugoslavia in their successful transitions to sovereignty and democracy. This day is also an occasion to celebrate the excellent ties between our two countries, greatly strengthened by our diplomatic missions,” he said.

Maqedonci: KSF is not forbidden in the north, but coordination is required (media)

Kosovo’s Minister of Defense, Ejup Maqedonci, has said that Kosovo Security Force can go in the north in coordination with KFOR.

“I believe that the request was discussed with the Prime Minister, to support the Police and KFOR to carry out their mission in the north. KFOR is not a hindering force, but a force for the security and stability and a partner force. With a NATO mandate, we do not consider it a prohibition that we must coordinate with them. The KSF is a force designed to operate in any part of Kosovo. We intend to make prior coordination with KFOR when there is a need to operate. KFOR has a mandate to guard the borders, to prevent the return of the Serbian occupying forces. And if KFOR continues to show seriousness in relation to the mandate…”, he said on KTV’s Interactive.

“When it is assessed that there is a need for participation, the KSF will be there (in the north) and this will be done in coordination with KFOR. I assess that the KSF has a mandate to operate in the entire territory. The request for coordination is an operational issue, not a mandate. There is no question of whether the KSF’s mandate is in the north, what is in question is the operational aspect and the need for coordination”, he added.

“It is not prohibited, but prior coordination is required. We intend to carry out prior coordination when there is a need to operate in the north of our country”, Maqedonci said.

New head of European Council to host Balkan leaders today (media)

The new head of the European Council, Antonio Costa, will host the leaders of the European Balkans for meetings today. Costa's agenda has been published on the European Council website, he will have his first meeting with the Prime Minister of Albania, Edi Rama. Meanwhile, the last of the meetings with Balkan leaders at 19:00, will be with Prime Minister Albin Kurti.

After separate meetings, Costa will have a dinner with all the leaders of the Western Balkans at 20:00.

Prosecutorial Council and Office of Chief State Prosecutor react to Kurti (media)

The Kosovo Prosecutorial Council (KPC) and the Office of the Chief State Prosecutor (OCSP) have reacted to the statements of Kosovo government officials, in this case to the statement of Kosovo’s Prime Minister, Albin Kurti, who on Monday at the Parliament has leveled accusations against the Kosovo Prosecutorial Council, the State Prosecutor and the Chief Prosecutor of the Special Prosecution of Kosovo, Blerim Isufaj.

"The Prime Minister's statements on individual cases, interpreting them in his own way, without knowing the facts and deliberately misinforming the public, hurt the feelings of the families of the deceased, constitute direct interference and pressure in the work of the Prosecution and seriously violate the independence of the justice system," the Kosovo Prosecutorial Council and the Office of the Chief State Prosecutor say in a response.

According to them, such an approach by the Prime Minister harms the functioning of democratic institutions and aims to undermine the reputation of the State Prosecutor in institutional efforts to strengthen the rule of law in Kosovo and instead of the Prime Minister supporting the budgetary requests of the prosecutorial system, he chooses the path of attacks on the institutions of the State Prosecutor.

"Therefore, the KPC and the Office of the Chief State Prosecutor call on the Prime Minister of the country, other members of the government cabinet and MPs of the ruling party to be restrained, to show responsible institutional behavior and not to attempt to attack the prosecutorial system through political discourse and rhetoric," the response of the Kosovo Prosecutorial Council and the Office of the Chief State Prosecutor states.

One month detention for suspect in Iber-Lepenc attack (media)

After the hearing, the defense attorney of the suspect Jovan Vicentijevic, lawyer Nebojsa Vlajic, told the media that his client told the court about his movements on the critical day and that he has no connection to the terrorist attack in Zubin Potok.

The lawyer said that at the hearing, the Court heard the arguments of the state prosecutor and the defense. Vlajic said that they believe that there is no reason for his client to be detained and that, in addition, according to him, there is no evidence for the acts he is suspected of. “He is suspected of being responsible for the attack on the constitutional order by destroying infrastructure facilities, related to terrorism and for the criminal offense of illegal possession of weapons and ammunition,” Vlajic said.

He said that his client explained his movement during the critical time before the court. “The defendant explained his movement during that critical time that it has nothing to do with the place where the explosion occurred and this should be taken into account. We are waiting for the court's decision regarding detention in the shortest possible time, in one or two hours,” said Vlajic.

In addition, he said after the hearing that the ammunition found in the house of the accused Viqentijevic is indisputable, but that, according to him, it has nothing to do with the explosion. “No explosives, no lighters, no detonators were found, so even what was found does not prove what the state prosecutor claims,” said lawyer Nebojsa Vlajic.

The Basic Court in Pristina has ordered a 30-day detention measure for Serb Jovan Vicentijevic, suspected of the November 29 attack on the Iber-Lepenc canal. During the search, Kosovo authorities found hand grenades, weapons and ammunition in his house.

Serwer: We’ve seen a series of attacks against Kosovo (media)

U.S. commentator on the Balkans, Daniel Serwer, in an interview with RTK on Monday, said the terrorist attack against the Iber Lepenci water canal was a despicable act that could have had major consequences on the quality of life of people in Kosovo. “It is a despicable act. It would surely have affected the life quality of a large number of people for a very long time. But from Washington it is impossible for me to know who did it … And I don’t think any party has clear evidence about what happened,” he said.

Asked about the eventual involvement of Russian elements in the attack, Serwer said it is a possibility but that without concrete facts he cannot make any conclusions. “At this point it is difficult to determine who were the possible perpetrators of the last incident. I don’t want to go into useless speculation. Belgrade certainly denied their involvement and even accused Pristina. This is a situation where we have two capitals that don’t have good neighborly relations. They will certainly accuse one another … and this is why we need tangible evidence. I hope that the authorities in Kosovo, the judicial and law enforcement authorities, will present tangible evidence very soon,” he said.

Serwer also said that there is Russian pressure and that there have been a series of attacks against Kosovo, and that the west was wrong not to hold Serbia accountable. “I have said many times that there are incidents that have happened in the last year and this all tells me that Belgrade is involved in a broad effort to destabilize Kosovo through the north. The EU and the US should have reacted after the incidents. I believe it is a great mistake that these incidents were not properly punished. The attacks are clearly incited, supported and planned in Belgrade, including the abduction of [Kosovo] police officers, the attacks against KFOR peacekeepers and also the attack in Banjska. But like I said, I cannot know, especially about the last incident, if they were like others planned in Belgrade, or if it was influenced by others, including Russian forces. We need to wait for the evidence,” he said.

Education union head warns with mass protest (media)

Several news websites report that Rrahman Jasharaj, head of the Union of Education, Science, and Culture, has warned with a mass protest of over 2,000 education workers as a sign of dissatisfaction of the government and Education Minister Arberie Nagavci. He said the protest would be a reaction against the minister’s wrong approach and her passivity toward the union’s request to improve their working conditions and to deliver on the collective contract.

Chief prosecutor in Belgrade: Decision on indictment for Radoicic soon (media)

Chief prosecutor of the High Public Prosecution of Belgrade, Nenad Stefanovic, said a decision on whether or not to file an indictment against Milan Radoicic about the September 2023 attack in Banjska in Kosovo will be made at the end of this year or early next year. “In this respect, I expect proper cooperation with EULEX [the EU’s Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo],” Stevanovic said in an interview with Kosovo Online.

Radoicic, former deputy leader of the Serbian List, claimed responsibility for the attack in Banjska where a Kosovo police sergeant was killed. During the fighting three Serb attackers were also killed. The authorities in Kosovo have filed charges against Radoicic and a group of people. The authorities in Serbia have also carried out their investigation about the attack, while Kosovo blamed Belgrade for being involved in the operation.

Prevent: Some Telegram channels promote actions against Police and KFOR (Koha)

According to a report by the Institute for Security and Resilience (Prevent), extremist Telegram platforms and channels, such as “Bunt,” “Бунт је стънде духа” (Rebellion is a State of Mind), “СРПСКИ ГЛАСНИК” (Serbian Gazette), “Српски вукови” (Serbian Wolves), and others, are actively engaged in spreading fake news and disinformation aimed at demonizing security institutions in Kosovo, especially the Kosovo Police and KFOR. According to the report titled “Spread of Terrorism through Social Platforms,” these platforms use narratives that portray the Kosovo Police as a violent and unrestrained force against Kosovo Serbs, accusing it of “repressive methods” and “ethnic cleansing” of Serbs in the northern municipalities.

“These accusations are untrue and are intended to misinform, baselessly describing as unjustified the actions of the Police, which has been engaged in protecting law and order, in the face of armed groups and criminal gangs operating in this region. The use of terms such as ‘ethnic cleansing’ is intended to cause fear and highlight a false narrative of victimization of Serbs, which is far from the reality of the situation on the ground,” the report states.

According to the report, these channels also spread calls for violence, inciting actions against the Kosovo Police, KFOR, and Kosovo state objectives. “Through regular postings, these platforms promote an atmosphere of tension and ethnic hatred, inciting parts of the population to oppose any efforts by the Kosovo state to maintain control and order in the northern municipalities. This includes inciting violent acts in response to Kosovo authorities, presenting it as righteous ‘resistance’, despite the fact that many of these groups are involved in criminal and terrorist activities,” the report says.

Serbian Language Media

Arsenijevic terms Selim Pacolli’s posts as ‘open call for ethnic cleansing and hate speech’, Raska-Prizren Eparchy expresses grave concerns (KoSSev, media)

The recent explosion at the Ibar-Lepenac water canal has disrupted daily life in northern Kosovo and ignited a heated political debate, KoSSev portal writes today. Selim Pacolli, a senior member of the New Kosovo Alliance (AKR), called for a new “Operation Storm” and advocated for a “cleansing of the terrain.” He also accused the Serbian Orthodox Church (SOC) of being the “main instigator” of violence against Albanians.

Remarks about ‘Operation Storm’ have been met with strong criticism from Serbian Democracy leader Aleksandar Arsenijevic, who described them as “an open call for ethnic cleansing” and hate speech.

The Diocese of Raska-Prizren also voiced grave concern, warning of the dangerous implications of Pacolli’s accusations.

Aleksandar Arsenijevic, leader of the Serbian Democracy party, described Pacolli’s comments as “a direct call for ethnic cleansing and hate speech“. He urged the international community to respond decisively.

“Such rhetoric is not only dangerous but unacceptable in a region where the wounds of past conflicts remain fresh. Silence in the face of such statements amounts to complicity“, Arsenijevic said.

Pacolli, in his defense, has argued that his call for “cleansing” is aimed solely at “Serbian paramilitary bands“ and not at Kosovo Serbs who recognize, as he said, Kosovo independence. He further claimed that such measures were necessary for peace and stability, drawing a controversial comparison to Croatia’s current harmony.

Targeting the Serbian Orthodox Church

Pacolli’s inflammatory language did not stop at calls for territorial “cleansing.” In a subsequent post, he accused the Serbian Orthodox Church (SOC) of being a historical “instigator of violence“ against Albanians.

“Historically, it was precisely on Orthodox holidays that these Chetnik formations and gangs killed, cut, and burned us, with the Serbian Orthodox Church as the main instigator and scriptwriter“, he wrote, referencing claims from Pristina media about alleged “warning from a young Serb” that the “Chetnik resistance” was responsible for the canal explosion, with the message “Christmas is Coming.”

In a short statement for KoSSev, the Raska-Prizren Diocese expressed deep concern over Pacolli’s accusations, warning that such rhetoric exacerbates already strained inter-ethnic relations.

Reactions have been notably absent from the top authorities in both Belgrade and Pristina. Similarly, while the international community was quick to condemn the canal explosion as a “terrorist attack,“ it has so far refrained from directly addressing Pacolli’s remarks.

Aleksandar Arsenijevic files criminal report against Selim Pacolli (social media)

In a post on his X account, leader of the Serbian Democracy, Aleksandar Arsenijevic said today he has filed a criminal report against Selim Pacolli.

“Today, I have filed a criminal report against Selim Pacolli at the Basic Prosecution Office in Mitrovica North over his unacceptable and dangerous statements about ethnic cleansing of Serbs from Kosovo, which resemble the “Storm” action scenario. Statements such as these ones directly incite intolerance and jeopardise peace and stability in the region”, Arsenijevic said.

He called upon institutions to urgently and decisively react, implement the law and stop any attempt to promote such dangerous narratives.

“Also, I call on the international community to condemn such dangerous statements and do their utmost so the similar calls for violence do not repeat in the future”, he added.

Visoki Decani Monastery on Selim Pacolli’s posts (social media)

Former deputy mayor of Pristina, Selim Pacolli, has come under fire for Facebook posts threatening persecution of the Serbian population in Kosovo. Pacolli, a former member of the KLA, the leaders of which are indicted for war crimes in the War Crimes Court in the Hague, arbitrarily and slanderously accused the Serbian Orthodox Church of masterminding violence and referenced the “Operation Storm,” a Croatian military campaign in 1995 that expelled 200,000 Serbs in 1995, suggesting a similar approach for Kosovo, calling it a “classic yard sweep.” After the Kosovo war 200,000 Serb residents were forced to leave Kosovo according to the UNHCR reports. Acts of violence and vandalism of the SOC churches continued for years with 150 churches destroyed or damaged despite the international presence, Visoki Decani wrote in a post on X social platform, referring to a number of media reports and reactions from Serbian human rights activists and Raska-Prizren Eparchy.

“Pacolli’s inflammatory remarks, coming from a high-ranking Kosovo Albanian official, highlight the urgent need for international reaction to prevent a resurgence of ethnic violence and ensure peaceful coexistence in #Kosovo where ethnic relations and stability have never been worse in the last 25 years.

#Serbian #Orthodox #Church Diocese in Kosovo expressed yesterday grave concern over this escalation of blatant hate speech, noting that it further deteriorates the current security and interethnic situation in the region”, the post added.

Read the full post at: rb.gy/x69b5q

Residents of North Mitrovica on increased presence of special units: repression and pressure (Kosovo Online)

After the explosion at Ibar-Lepenac water canal, several hundred special members of Kosovo police were deployed across four northern municipalities, patrolling the towns with long-barrelled guns. Residents of North Mitrovica told Kosovo Online they feel uneasy about their presence and that they view it as repression and increased pressure on the Serbian community.

"We have no idea why they are here. We don't know the reason for such a large deployment. Based on what our politicians say, they don't even have the right to be here. But it seems they exploit the situation and can do as they please. They act as the only authority maintaining some sort of order. However, I think this will last only until the new elections. After that, I hope our people will also participate", an elderly man told Kosovo Online.

Another local resident suggested that the situation benefits those who want to drive Serbs out of Kosovo.

"This is abnormal. In normal countries, you don't see so much police presence. Serbs in Kosovo are in their own country. They are not a hostile element to Kosovo, Serbia, or any other state in the world. This incident happened at that canal. No one knows who caused the explosion. People from that village were arrested prematurely by the police. Those villagers aren’t crazy to harm themselves. They use the canal water for irrigation, to water their livestock. I don't understand how long this will last. Who benefits from this? Those who aim to expel Serbs from Kosovo and solidify their statehood", he said.

Read more at: https://shorturl.at/K4ZGg

Jevtic: Events in north part of Kurti's long-term strategy to displace Serbs (media)

Strpce mayor Dalibor Jevtic said everything currently happening in northern Kosovo “fits into the long-term strategy of Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti, which aims to displace Serbs from Kosovo”. Speaking on Kurir TV morning program, Jevtic emphasized that warnings about Kurti's plans have been evident for some time, particularly as the elections on February 9 approach.

"It is clear that this situation only benefits Kurti, as it provides him with an excuse to further intensify repression against the Serbian population, especially in northern Kosovo and Metohija. This is nothing new. Documents from the Vetëvendosje movement dating back to 2012 explicitly state that the goal is to make Kosovo as unattractive as possible for Serbs to live in. Based on this, Kurti is implementing a policy aimed at placing Serbs in an unbearable position and forcing them to emigrate. Now, with the decline in his party’s popularity according to recent polls, it is evident that he is trying to exploit nationalist sentiments to regain support", Jevtic said. He added that Belgrade has nothing to do with the incidents in Kosovo and that they are entirely Kurti’s doing.

"Look at the events of November 28, the Day of the Albanian Flag, the situation in Gracanica, and the incidents in Zubin Potok, specifically in Varage. The question arises: what interest would any Serb have in cutting off their own water supply or creating a situation that allows Kurti to deploy additional special police forces? It is clear that Kurti uses these incidents as an excuse for repression and attempts to station Kosovo Security Forces in the north, which KFOR has so far rejected. President Vucic explained this precisely in his address. It is obvious that Belgrade has no connection to these incidents. This is Kurti’s work, along with the radical elements within his party. Their provocations are continuous—from sending people to provoke Serbs at Gazivode during the summer to attacks and provocations in café gardens in North Mitrovica during the winter", Jevtic added.

Arsenijevic: Key people in Kosovo Government need to resign over explosion at Ibar-Lepenac water canal (Danas, FoNet)

Serbian Democracy President Aleksandar Arsenijevic told FoNet news agency that due to explosion at the Ibar-Lepenac water canal, key people in Kosovo Government must resign, because, as he opined, there was a serious omission from Pristina security services, or someone had to allow it, Danas daily reported.

“In a region where every centimetre is controlled, you can’t even transfer a package of beer or water, someone brought you 20 kilograms of explosives and placed them on vital infrastructure and the lifeblood of Kosovo”, Arsenijevic said, adding that “only a Serbian enemy” could have done it.

He ruled out any involvement of the Serbian community in that incident.

“In the whole anti-Serb atmosphere, it happened that there was no water, electricity, internet for five days, road blockades and everything else. If there had been such a humanitarian catastrophe, the Albanian population would have focused on the Serbs and the Serbs would have been expelled, perhaps even worse than on March 17, 2004”, Arsenijevic believes.

He described that after the incident, special units are still deployed everywhere and that in recent days everything looks like mass house arrest, which is why the Serbs are in fear. He added that in discussions with numerous experts, he concluded that diversion in the Ibar-Lepenac channel does not act as the work of an individual, but as an organized action.

“In that region, just a few kilometres away, you have illegal special police bases that constantly monitor everything with drones”, Arsenijevic underlined, adding everything indicates the damage was caused so that it can be repaired quickly and efficiently.

Asked if the latest incident threatened the rating of Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kuri before the elections held in February, Arsenijevic said his rating would have doubled if he had managed to bring the KSF to the north of Kosovo.

“I’m afraid every time Kurti’s rating drops”, Arsenijevic said.

Vucic: Important meetings ahead in Brussels, Zurich and Berne (Tanjug)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Tuesday important meetings in Brussels, Zurich and Berne were ahead of him over the next three days. Speaking to reporters in Belgrade, Vucic said that, among other officials, he would meet with EU foreign policy and security chief Kaja Kallas and European Council President Antonio Costa in Brussels on Tuesday.

He said he would attend a dinner hosted by Costa and also meet with the EU special envoy for the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue Miroslav Lajcak, EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos and "all the new people in charge of enlargement." He said he would also speak with US officials if meetings could be arranged to take place before his trip to Zurich in the evening.

"I will have a strenuous day in Brussels - a very important day for Serbia - and also in Zurich tomorrow, and meetings with the Swiss president and ministers the day after tomorrow, and then I will be coming back here, we have important events", Vucic said.

Speaking about the incident at Ibar-Lepenac water canal, Vucic said Pristina’s argument that “Russia targeted the energy infrastructure in Ukraine, so it happened in Kosovo as well, demonstrates that Pristina undermines anyone who has even the slightest reason, wisdom and brain”.

International

Legal experts sound alarm over ‘rushed’ Serbian criminal code changes (BIRN)

Draft amendments to Serbia’s criminal code have been slammed by legal experts as badly written, rushed and a potential threat to freedom of expression and the kind of protests that have repeatedly rocked the government.

Legal experts in Serbia are sounding the alarm over proposed changes to the Criminal Code that would, among other things, introduce the offence of ‘publishing materials advocating the committing of a criminal offence’.

The changes would apply to anyone who, “through the means of information technology or other means, makes available material containing information in which advice is given on the committing of a criminal offence”. Those who “mediate access to the materials” or “knowingly access the materials” also risk prosecution.

Katarina Golubovic, head of the Lawyers’ Committee for Human Rights, said the text raised serious questions about how – and by who – such content would be accessed by authorities in determining whether a criminal offence had been committed.