UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, December 31, 2024

Albanian Language Media:

Osmani: I hope 2025 will bring our state all the good (Telegrafi)
Osmani with powerful message against violence against women (Indeksonline/T7)
Court rejects VV appeal, orders CEC to certify Serbian List for elections (media)
Special Prosecution files second indictment against Nagip Krasniqi (media)
Indictment filed against three persons for war crimes against civilians (media)

Serbian Language Media:

Representatives of Serbian civil organisations in Kosovo about the year 2024: A series of serious challenges (KiM radio)
Osmani visited Northern Mitrovica (Radio Mitrovica sever, Kosovo Online, KoSSev)
Indictment for an alleged war crime in Kosovo against the defendants in absentia (RTS, Radio Mitrovica sever, KiM radio, Kosovo Online)
Vucevic: I fear the continuation of terror against Serbs in Kosovo (Kosovo Online, TV Happy)
Djuric: The endangerment of Serb rights is a stain on the international presence in Kosovo (Kosovo Online, Vesti)
Mojsilovic: The Serbian Army capable of protecting Serbs in Kosovo (Tanjug, Vecernje Novosti)

Opinion:

The New Year's resolution: bringing Kosovo closer to the EU (Koha)

International Media:

‘This Gave Me Hope’: Meet the Student Protesters Trying to Change Serbian Society (BIRN)
Proliferating disinformation ahead of elections in Kosovo, North Macedonia impacts public opinion and vote (Prishtina Insight)

Albanian Language Media

Osmani: I hope 2025 will bring our state all the good (Telegrafi)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani during a visit to Mitrovica North today sent her New Year wishes to all communities in Kosovo. During her stay at the Kosovo Police Directorate in the north, Osmani thanked police officers from all communities for their services. “We first visited the Police Directorate to thank police officers from all communities for their everyday services in the interest of the people and in defense of their lives and properties. I encouraged them for their work even during holidays and their sacrifices for being away from their families and to give them all the necessary institutional support,” she said.

“I want to use this opportunity to wish all citizens of Kosovo of all ethnic groups the best New Year holidays, wishing them health and prosperity with the hope that 2025 will bring all the good for our state,” Osmani also said.

During her visit, Osmani also delivered gifts for children in Mitrovica North.

Osmani with powerful message against violence against women (Indeksonline/T7)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani, in an interview with T7 on Monday, sent a powerful message against violence against women. “Do not tolerate violence, because there is always a choice that is better. Maybe at one point it doesn’t seem easy, but in the long-term it is the best choice for the mother and her children. Leaving from a violent situation always saves lives, because tolerating violence has never created happy families,” she said.

Court rejects VV appeal, orders CEC to certify Serbian List for elections (media)

The Supreme Court of Kosovo ruled today as inadmissible the appeal of the Vetevendosje Movement against the decision of the Elections Complaints and Appeals Panel on the certification of the Serbian List for the February 2025 general elections. The Central Election Commission has been ordered to certify the SL and its candidates.

Special Prosecution files second indictment against Nagip Krasniqi (media)

The Special Prosecution of Kosovo filed on Monday a second indictment against former CEO of the Kosovo Power Corporation, Nagip Krasniqi, and two other persons, charging them with damaging the budget of Kosovo with nearly €37 million “with their illegal actions, by committing the offense of abuse of official duty or authority, and disclosing official secrets”.

Indictment filed against three persons for war crimes against civilians (media)

Kosovo’s Special Prosecution filed an indictment on Monday for a trial in absentia against three persons suspected of committing war crimes against civilians in 1999. The first defendant, D.G., is accused of being aware, or should have been aware, of war crimes committed in the Gnjilane Municipality, including killings, injuries, burning victims alive, abductions, beatings, and deportations of Kosovo Albanian civilians in several villages such as Inatovce, Lovce, Pograde, and Ugljare. Despite his official role as the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Gjilan, he allegedly took no action to prevent or report these crimes. The second defendant, Z.C., is accused of participating in the murder of eight Kosovo Albanian civilians as part of a criminal group in the Gjilan region. The victims were beaten, tortured, and robbed, with two of them being burned alive after being placed in a pile of firewood. Z.C. is alleged to have acted with others, including armed and disguised members of the Serbian police and army, in carrying out these atrocities. The third defendant, Z.S., a doctor at the regional hospital in Gjilan is accused of failing to provide medical assistance to a Kosovo Albanian victim, N.R., who had been injured by the criminal group simply because he was Albanian. Despite the victim’s critical condition, Z.S. allegedly ordered him to leave the hospital, resulting in the victim’s death later that day. The prosecution argues that this failure to act constitutes a war crime against the civilian population.

Serbian Language Media

Representatives of Serbian civil organisations in Kosovo about the year 2024: A series of serious challenges (KiM radio)

KiM radio writes today that in 2024, Kosovo faced a number of serious challenges, among which the explosion on the Ibar-Lepenac canal, the abolition of the dinar, the closure of Serbian institutions and the overall deterioration of the security situation in the north...

Representatives of Kosovo Serb civil society organizations summarized the outgoing year 2024 in their statements for KiM radio. Once again, they pointed to the increased pressure and non-cooperation of the Government of Kosovo with non-majority communities, the escalation of police brutality, but also the lack of purposeful dialogue between the two sides.

Miodrag Milicevic from the NGO Aktiv believes that the year 2024, in a way, brought the feeling of returning to the past, that is, to the period after 1999. According to him, there are many missed opportunities to stabilize the situation.

"It is difficult to single out an event that would stand out from the others. To me, it is political instability and the absence of any desire to establish a political dialogue, including at the high political level dialogue taking place in Brussels, that in a normal way, by 2025, would have led us into some more normal and peaceful water. The impression of 2024 is that this is falling apart," he said.

Miodrag Marinkovic from the Center for Affirmative Social Actions (CASA) said that 2024 was an incredibly challenging year for Serbs in Kosovo.

"The shutdown of institutions, the failure of the referendum, the cancellation of payment transactions with Serbia, the imposition of economic measures in the north of Kosovo and the violence carried out by the Kosovo policemen are just some of the events that marked the year 2024," he said.

"What stands out as the common denominator of all problems is the collapse of the Kosovo policy of the current government in Belgrade. That is perhaps the impression of the year," he added.

"Life for Serbs in Kosovo has become significantly more difficult - the existential needs and interests of the community are threatened, salaries are being raised in Serbia, and ethnically motivated members of the Kosovo police are standing in front of people's houses," concluded Marinkovic.

The program director of the Center for the Representation of Democratic Culture (ACDC) in North Mitrovica, Aleksandar Rapajic, believes that the year 2024, in addition to a series of stormy events, was still marked by an explosion on the Ibar-Lepenac canal.

"I think the year 2024 was marked by the recent explosion on the Ibar-Lepenac canal. Also, the pressure of the Government of Kosovo towards the Serbian community living in the north and the lack of safety and security, in addition to the vast number of police officers and the so-called 'democracy' that has come. In addition to all that, the residents of the north feel insecure," he said.

Sanja Vukovic, a civil activist from Kosovo Pomoravlje, believes that the year 2024 was marked by a series of events that, as she said, led to a sharp deterioration in relations between Kosovo Serbs and Kosovo institutions.

"This, first of all, refers to the decisions made by the Kosovo government and institutions in Pristina, starting with the abolition of the dinar and the transition to the only legal currency for transactions, until the last examples of police brutality that happened in the north of Kosovo," she said.

When it comes to police brutality, she recalled, for example, the excessive use of force against Milos Subotic.

"All these events caused anxiety in the entire Serbian community, both in the south and in the north. They contributed to the relations between the Government of Kosovo and the Serbs, their representatives, and the inhabitants in general, being at the lowest possible level," she pointed out.

The director of the NGO New Social Initiative (NSI) Jovana Radosavljevic agreed that the year 2024 was marked by several events. According to her, "this is an election year."

"There were many global elections that are very important, that is, they will potentially be important for geopolitical circumstances. The most important, in this regard, are the elections for the American president, that is, the re-election of Donald Trump. Also, the elections at the EU level are important. That, in a way, led to a slowdown in the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, so we haven't seen any progress in that regard," she said.

Some representatives of Kosovo Serb civil society organizations from Kosovo will remember the year 2024 for their personal achievements. So, Rodoljub Mladenovic from the Foundation for the Development of Tourism and Agriculture from Strpce told KiM radio that the year 2024 was marked by the opening of the office of this organization (Tourist Information Center), as well as the gastronomy fair in this place at the foot of Sar Mountain. "I will remember it for the opening of our office and the gastronomy fair we organized in Strpce," Mladenovic was brief.

"We had numerous examples of discrimination, we had actions that directly affected the lives of citizens, such as closing the offices of temporary authorities (PO) without previously offered alternatives. The closure of post offices and the like, which affected the elderly and disabled the most," emphasized Darko Dimitrijevic, director of Gorazdevac Media Group.

He recalled that the population census was also completed this year, which, according to him, was done superficially.

"We also had a population census, which, it turns out these days, was disastrously and superficially done, so it does not reflect the real picture on the ground because the census takers did not come to many Serbian communities," he said.

Positive things that were singled out in 2024, according to Nikolic, was visa-free regime for holders of Kosovo passports, and for Radosavljevic, the formation of the Joint Commission for Missing Persons at the last meeting in Brussels.

However, Darko Dimitrijevic thinks that there is no positive event that, when it comes to Kosovo, he would single out in 2024.

"I can't single out a single beautiful thing. The authorities in Pristina continued to disenfranchise and oppress the Serbian people," he told KiM Radio.

Osmani visited Northern Mitrovica (Radio Mitrovica sever, Kosovo Online, KoSSev)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani was in North Mitrovica today and on that occasion visited the police station for the North region.

After that, Osmani visited the bar 'Missini' at the end of the promenade in North Mitrovica, together with the Kosovo Minister of the Interior Xhelal Svecla, the director of the Kosovo Police Gazmend Hoxha and the mayor of North Mitrovica Erden Atic. The visit of Osmani was secured by a large number of policemen.

She ended her stay in North Mitrovica with a visit to the "Hebs" fast food restaurant.

KoSSev reported that she addressed the media in Albanian. Local media were not informed about the visit in advance.

How much North Mitrovica was this year's favorite destination for the highest representatives of the Kosovo authorities and citizens from the south, was shown by the last day of the year we are saying goodbye to, wrote KoSSev.

Preparations for New Year's Eve in North Mitrovica are underway with a welcome for the favorite president of Kosovo Albanians. A group of children showed that this was so with their exclamations of "Vjosa Osmani! Vjosa Osmani!", who took part in her company on the Mitrovica promenade.

In this bar, Osmani delivered New Year's packages to children of Albanian nationality.

After leaving the bar, surrounded by ministers and numerous security guards, and followed by exclamations of "Vjosa Osmani", she addressed the journalists in the Albanian language, ignoring the journalist's request to answer in Serbian.

According to KoSSev, this is the first time that the President of Kosovo has publicly come to the center of North Mitrovica, while she has stayed at least once in the outskirts where Albanians live.

Indictment for an alleged war crime in Kosovo against the defendants in absentia (RTS, Radio Mitrovica sever, KiM radio, Kosovo Online)

The Special Prosecutor's Office in Pristina filed an indictment with a proposal for a trial in absentia against the defendants D. G., Ž. C. and Z. Š., due to suspicion that they allegedly committed a war crime against the civilian population during the conflict in Kosovo, 25 years ago, reported RTS yesterday.

In the last ten days, this is the fourth indictment by the judicial authorities in Pristina against the accused members of the Serbian army and police in absentia.

In the announcement of the prosecution, it was stated that for the defendant ''D. G. there was a well-founded suspicion that in his capacity as the head of the Secretariat of Internal Affairs in Gnjilane, in the period from January to July 1999, he was aware or should have known, and did not take any actions to prevent, stop or report the hierarchy in connection with the murders, injuries, burning alive Albanian civilian victims, taking hostages, beating, mistreatment, physical and psychological torture, robbery, deportation of the Albanian civilian population''.

"For the defendant Ž. C., there is a well-founded suspicion that during the war in Kosovo, more precisely in the region of Gnjilane, as part of a criminal group, in cooperation with D.C., D.N., M.Š, N.S. and S.J., as well as with other unidentified members of this group, armed and dressed in camouflage uniforms and irregular uniforms of the Serbian police or army, participated in the murder of eight Albanian civilians, two of them to be exact," the indictment claimed.

Against five accused Serbs from the vicinity of Gnjilane D. C., D. N., M. Š., N.S. and S.J. the special prosecution filed the indictment three days ago.

For the defendant Ž. C. there was also a well-founded suspicion that in his capacity as a doctor of the Regional Hospital in Gnjilane, from May 4, 1999, he did not provide appropriate medical assistance to the injured N. R., of Albanian nationality, the announcement stated.

Vucevic: I fear the continuation of terror against Serbs in Kosovo (Kosovo Online, TV Happy)

Serbian Prime Minister Milos Vucevic expressed concern that the pressure and terror against Serbs in Kosovo will continue next year.

"We face the challenge of protecting our people in Kosovo and Metohija," Vucevic said while appearing on TV Happy.

He also mentioned that he fears the continuation of pressure on the Republic of Srpska, because, as he warned, today someone believes they have the right to undermine the Dayton Agreement.

"What will happen geopolitically, nobody knows," stated the Serbian PM.

Speaking of the year 2024, he noted that the tragedy in Novi Sad left the deepest mark, pain, and sorrow, as well as the question – ‘who was responsible’.

"This has left the deepest mark and a bad impression, pain and sorrow in the nation and the question of who is responsible. Besides that, other events were more positive for our citizens," said Vucevic.

He is convinced, he says, that 2025 will be a better year.

"The situation in the Middle East is complicated, a severe war in Ukraine by the number of victims, length of the front. We face the challenge of protecting our people in Kosovo and Metohija and defending against attempts at a colored revolution. We cannot afford to relax," said Vucevic.

Djuric: The endangerment of Serb rights is a stain on the international presence in Kosovo (Kosovo Online, Vesti)

Since Albin Kurti's rise to power in Pristina, the Serbs in Kosovo have been experiencing the most difficult moments in the last two and a half decades, and the endangerment of the human and political rights of the Serbian community is a stain on the reputation of the international actors present in Kosovo, Serbian Minister of Foreign Affairs Marko Djuric emphasized in an interview with "Frankfurtske Vesti."

"Serbia will continue, on the firm foundations of international law, to fight for the protection of its state and national interests through all available political and diplomatic means. Since Albin Kurti's assumption of leadership in the provisional self-government institutions in Pristina, the Serbian people have been going through the most challenging times in the past two and a half decades. The violation of the human and political rights of Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija is not only evidence of Kurti’s regressive ethno-nationalist agenda but also a stain on the reputation of the international actors present in our southern province, as they have failed to implement all measures available to deter Pristina from its unilateral, aggressive, and fundamentally anti-European actions," Djuric stressed.

Read more at:https://tinyurl.com/yh9f4dk8

Mojsilovic: The Serbian Army capable of protecting Serbs in Kosovo (Tanjug, Vecernje Novosti)

The Chief of the General Staff of the Serbian Armed Forces, General Milan Mojsilovic, stated that the security situation in Serbia is stable, with the existence of indicators of a possible destabilization of the situation in Kosovo. he said that the Serbian Armed Forces monitor possible forms of threats to the security of Serbia and is able to protect the Serbs in Kosovo if the Albin Kurti's regime tried ''to surround the so-called sovereignty over the entire territory''.

"There will be no 'storm'. The Serbian Army has the ability to protect the Serbs and other non-Albanian population in the territory of our southern province, but I am deeply convinced that it is in the interest of the Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija and the state to fight for Kosovo and Metohija as part of the Republic of Serbia through diplomatic means," Mojsilovic said in an interview with Vecernje Novosti.

Answering the question whether the recent rejection of Kurti's request to send the KSF to the north of Kosovo, after the attack on the Ibar-Lepenac canal, is a hint that international forces are returning to their mandate, Mojsilovic stated that Serbia, in accordance with Resolution 1244 of the UN Security Council, Military-Technical and all other signed agreements, recognizes KFOR as the only a legitimate armed formation in Kosovo.

Opinion

The New Year's resolution: bringing Kosovo closer to the EU (Koha)

Oped by EU Ambassador to Kosovo Aivo Orav

2025: New Dynamics, New Opportunities

With 2024 behind us, it is time to reflect on what we have achieved and to make resolutions for 2025: a year of new dynamics and fresh opportunities.

As someone new to Kosovo, with just four months in office, I was impressed to learn the results of an EU-commissioned survey, which found that 92% of respondents support Kosovo’s EU accession. Kosovo also shows the most positive views towards the EU, with 91% of respondents expressing a favourable attitude. What a welcoming environment for an EU Ambassador!

The will of the people of Kosovo is clear, as is the EU's vision for the Western Balkans: the future of the region is in the EU. Together, we want to move forward towards this common goal.

The recent EU-Western Balkans Summit demonstrated a renewed momentum for our strategic partnership and a new dynamic of the enlargement process. The new President of the European Council, António Costa, described enlargement as the EU’s most important geopolitical investment - an investment in peace and prosperity for all the people. And this is exactly what it is: an investment in our common future.

To do this, both the EU and future Member States need to be ready. The EU needs to lay the necessary internal groundwork and reforms, whereas aspiring members should step up their reform efforts.

Gradual integration and the Growth Plan as a catalyst for reforms

The gradual integration of the region is already underway in many areas. The EUR 6 billion Growth Plan is a prime example - a tool that will allow our Western Balkan partners, including Kosovo, to reap some of the benefits of partial integration into the EU’s Single Market even prior to full accession to the EU.

The Growth Plan will also incentivise EU-related reforms, as the payments under the Reform and Growth Facility will be made upon completion of agreed reform steps outlined in Kosovo’s Reform Agenda. In total, more than EUR 880 million are available for the implementation of the Reform Agenda.

With this in mind, my message to Kosovo is to make full use of the Growth Plan, implement its Reform Agenda, and move closer to the EU. Enlargement is a merit-based process, and the pace of integration is also in Kosovo’s own hands. It will depend on its preparedness and track record in implementing the necessary reforms.

As Kosovo’s largest trading partner, investor and provider of financial assistance, the EU will continue to support Kosovo in its reform process.

However, I want to stress that the reform process is not only about receiving the Growth Plan funds or joining the EU. It is about implementing democratic and economic reforms for a better Kosovo; it is about ensuring a better life for the people of Kosovo.

In this spirit, the EU would also like to see a sustainable solution to the situation in the north of Kosovo, see a place where all communities live side-by-side in safety and security, feel duly represented by those in office, and properly looked after by their public services.

The 2025 elections and the importance of information integrity

This year, Kosovo will hold parliamentary elections under a new electoral framework, which implements recommendations from successive EU election observation missions. A transparent, well administered, inclusive and competitive electoral process is key to any democratic society.

But what is also critical to any election process is information integrity and voters' access to accurate, reliable, and authentic information. The importance of this was highlighted during the recent Romanian presidential elections on 24 November, where there were serious indications that foreign actors interfered in the elections by using TikTok. This prompted the European Commission to launch formal proceedings against TikTok for a suspected breach of the Digital Services Act concerning the platform’s obligation to properly assess and mitigate systemic risks linked to election integrity.

Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference is a global challenge: it poses a threat to liberal democracies, which depend on free and open information. But when the information citizens depend on is distorted or manipulated, it undermines their ability to make informed decisions.

As the renowned author and TV producer Peter Pomerantsev said, “When information is a weapon, everyone is at war.” Any individual can become a target of information manipulation. The issue is what we do to fight it and how we respond: fact-check every information you come across and report illegal content.

Alongside factual reporting by the media, it is essential for all of us to help preserve an untainted information space. This includes addressing potential threats from actors spreading disruptive or divisive narratives, sowing societal doubt, fuelling interethnic tensions, or undermining democratic processes.

The EU will also do its part. We have commissioned a study on disinformation during Kosovo's upcoming elections, focusing on identifying key narratives, their actors, and their impact on public opinion and the electoral process.

By fostering a space where everyone feels safe, we can ensure that information remains a tool for empowerment, not division.

Kosovo voluntary aligns with the EU Common Security and Defense Policy, carrying its weight in facing our geopolitical challenges. The information battlefield is equally critical for our democracies, and we rely on Kosovo's support in this area as well.

My New Year’s Resolution and Wish for 2025

Over the past four months, I have served as the bridge between the EU and Kosovo, fostering deeper diplomatic, economic, developmental, and cultural relations. My New Year’s Resolution is to get to know Kosovo and Kosovars better and to help bring Kosovo even closer to the EU.

My wish for 2025 is for a year filled with prosperity, peace, health, cooperation, and unity in diversity.

Happy New year to you and your loved ones!

International

‘This Gave Me Hope’: Meet the Student Protesters Trying to Change Serbian Society (BIRN)

Like their parents challenging Slobodan Milosevic’s regime in the 1990s, Serbian students have taken to the streets for truth and justice. Can they win the freedom they want so much?

“This is a type of resistance to which the current government has no adequate response,” says Pavle Cicvaric, a 22-year-old student in the fourth year of Belgrade University’s Faculty of Political Sciences.

Cicvaric is one of thousands of students in Serbia have been protesting for more than a month in direct actions that were initially sparked by the collapse of infrastructure at the recently-renovated railway station in the country’s second city, Novi Sad. The students believe the deadly disaster highlights what they see as the corruption, secrecy and deception endemic in the Serbian regime.

They have been blockading their university faculties in the cities of Belgrade, Novi Sad, Nis and Kragujevac, and as the weeks have passed, more and more pupils from secondary schools have joined them at the protests.