Albanian Language Media:

• 18th attempt to constitute the Assembly fails (media)
• Basha: VV was constructive, those who vote against are blockers (media)
• Krasniqi: VV not interested in unblocking, we are in a state of emergency (media)
• Abdixhiku: Kosovo needs actions from the first party (media)
• Limaj: Solution can be reached only through dialogue (Koha)
• Kadrijaj: The same scenario is being repeated (media)
• Presidency: Kosovo not represented with a footnote at EPC Summit (Express)
• EU High Representative Kaja Kallas to visit Kosovo this week (Gazeta 10)
• Maqedonci reveals details about the new Kosovo-US military agreement (media)
• KLA War Veterans write to CoE Commissioner for Human Rights (Express)

Serbian Language Media:

• Twenty-five years of silence: Serbian families from Miroce and Gojbulja still denied access to their own property (KoSSev, KiM radio)
• NGOs’ letter to ombudsman Qelaj regarding his statement on harassment of girls and women in north (Kosovo Online, Radio Mitrovica sever, alternativna.com, social media)
• Patriotism as a cover for an attack on civil sector (Radio Gorazdevac)
• Kuqi's accusations against NGO Aktiv; The NGO demand a public apology (KiM radio, KoSSev)
• “Neighbor watches” on streets of Mitrovica North as of Friday evening (Radio KIM)
• Witnesses in a trial: Dragan Milovic saved our lives in Vucitrn (Radio KIM)
• Lawyer: I expect acquittal in Caslav Jolic’s case if court rules based on facts (Radio KIM)
• Nenad Stojanovic from Pasjane accused of war crimes in poor health condition (KoSSev, Radio KIM)
• CoE: Condition for Kosovo membership is dialogue with all communities, including people in north (Kosovo Online)
• Analyst Spahiu: I discussed dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia with Minister Djuric (Danas, Beta)

International:

• Exhibition commemorates Kosovo Albanian soldiers killed in Yugoslav Army (PI)

Albanian Language Media 

18th attempt to constitute the Assembly fails (media)

The attempt to constitute the Assembly of Kosovo has failed for the 18^th time. Once again, before the session, the chairman, Avni Dehari, invited political party representatives for a short consultation.  

However, the parties’ position has not changed, and as a result, the formation of the Committee for a secret ballot to elect the Speaker of the Assembly was again not achieved. There were 52 votes in favor, one against, and no abstentions. 106 MPs were present in the hall. The next session will be held on 21 May at 11:00 hours. 

Basha: VV was constructive, those who vote against are the blockers (media)

Dimal Basha, MP of the Vetevendosje Movement, has said that his party has shown itself constructive, and accused other parties of blocking the constitution of the Assembly by voting against. He said to the media that extraordinary elections are not an option for VV, adding that “elections were held”. “It is important that VV has already shown itself constructive, that it intended to unblock it. Those who are voting against are the blockers,” Basha said. 

Krasniqi: VV not interested in unblocking, we are in a state of emergency (media)

The leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) Memli Krasniqi has called on the Vetevendosje Movement to change its candidate for speaker of the parliament. “Even today, they made the same attempt to postpone these sessions and hold them once a week, contrary to the regulations, but the will of the other parties was that this should not happen. As for us as PDK, we consider that we should not even wait for two days, because regulations say within 48 hours, but this could happen within 24 hours and it would not be wrong at all if we gathered every day, because this would be, above all, an obligation that we have towards the voters and perhaps a pressure on each other to get out of this situation, but I do not expect such a thing to happen due to the already proven fact that VV is not interested in unblocking the situation, “ he said,

He expressed regret to the people of Kosovo for this situation, which according to him has become excessive and which is harming Kosovo and the daily lives of people. "I once again call on LVV and its leader, Kurti, to change the candidate and come up with a candidate among those who know they have who can get the majority to become the speaker of the assembly and move forward with the constitution of the Kosovo Assembly but also within the constitution deadlines for the establishment of the government. Because as we are, we have essentially remained as a state in a state of emergency since we have neither a legitimate government nor a functional assembly," Krasniqi said.

Abdixhiku: Kosovo needs actions from the first party (media)

The leader of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), Lumir Abdixhiku, has said that Kosovo needs institutions and actions from the Vetevendosje Movement. He said that the situation created is worrying. “There is no urgency for the first party … Because there is no urgency, there is also procrastination, because there is no urgency, there are also proposals for the session not to be held according to the regulations, the lack of urgency is really bad news for the Republic of Kosovo, because Kosovo needs institutions, it needs political actions from the first party,” Abdixhiku said, after the 18th consecutive failure to constitute the Kosovo Assembly. He said that it is incomprehensible how a party with 48 MPs cannot achieve a minimum majority.

Kadrijaj: The same scenario is being repeated (media)

Time Kadrijaj, MP from the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), said after the failure of the 18th attempt to constitute the Assembly of Kosovo, that the same scenario is being repeated. She informed that the proposal of the chairman of the Assembly session, to hold the sessions once a week, was opposed by the opposition parties as unconstitutional. Kadriaj announced that she would send the comments on the manner in which the session failed to the Constitutional Court, adding that this issue must be treated seriously. 

Limaj: Solution can be reached only through dialogue (Koha)

NISMA leader Fatmir Limaj said today that a solution for the political deadlock can be found only through dialogue and agreements between parties. “A political agreement is necessary. I think that everyone must assume their responsibility. There are no other political forces, these are it,” he told reporters after another failed attempt to constitute the new assembly. 

Limaj also said that NISMA has received no official invitation to make a proposal in relation to the constitution of the new assembly. 

Presidency: Kosovo not represented with a footnote at EPC Summit (Express)

An official from the Office of the President of Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani, reacted to a statement by political commentator Nexhmedin Spahiu who quoted Serbian media as saying that Kosovo was represented with a footnote at the European Political Community Summit in Tirana, Albania. “This is the latest lie by Nexhmedin Spahiu. Neither in this EPC in Tirana nor in the previous ones was Kosovo represented with a footnote, even in cases when these summits were organized by non-recognizing countries like Spain and Moldova. At the plenary session and in every other room where meetings are held, all leaders, regardless of which country they come from, have their names and last names written in front of them, namely they are represented at an equal level,” the official said.

EU High Representative Kaja Kallas to visit Kosovo this week (Gazeta 10)

EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, is scheduled to visit Kosovo this week. Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani, who met Kallas in Tirana on Friday, said that Kosovo is ready to take the next step in its path toward the European Union. 

Maqedonci reveals details about the new Kosovo-US military agreement (media)

Kosovo’s caretaker Minister of Defense, Ejup Maqedonci, in an interview with Euronews Albania, talked about the framework document that is expected to be signed on June 13 between Kosovo and the United States of America, and which will serve as basis for expanded cooperation in the area of defense for the period 2025-2030 and to strengthen the defense industry. “This is a historic agreement for the Republic of Kosovo … We have many other memorandums and agreements with many NATO member states, but these two agreements [with the U.S. and Turkey] include a broad range that enables furthering cooperation. First through this agreement we will increase the interoperability of military forces throughout exercises and training, and also through joint deployments in peacekeeping missions in the world. And second is the industry of defense – a new area of cooperation – which is exceptionally promising not only in terms of building the defense capacities of the Republic of Kosovo, but also for economic development,” Maqedonci said.

KLA War Veterans write to CoE Commissioner for Human Rights (Express)

The organization of the KLA War Veterans has sent a letter to the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe, Michael O’Flaherty, calling for an international investigation into what they called violations of the Specialist Chambers in the Hague. The war veterans said they are addressing him “not to oppose justice but rather to protect it”.

The letter notes that the Specialist Chambers no longer resemble a judicial institution built upon European human rights values “but have turned into a hermetically closed structure that functions in complete isolation from the legal system of Kosovo, its democratic institutions and mechanisms for constitutional oversight”.

The war veterans said that an international investigation should be launched “into the systematic violations of human rights and procedural abuses within the Specialist Chambers of Kosovo”.

Serbian Language Media

Twenty-five years of silence: Serbian families from Miroce and Gojbulja still denied access to their own property (KoSSev, KiM radio)

(This text is based on a letter written by a resident of the village of Miroce, and on the complaint submitted by the affected party in this case – Dusan Milenkovic).

For over two decades, more than 30 Serbian families from the villages of Miroce and Gojbulja have been trying to reclaim approximately 230 hectares of land and destroyed homes - land they claim was forcibly seized and has since been continuously used by an Albanian family from the neighboring village of Karace. The land includes houses, fields, orchards, pastures, and forests.

Despite repeated appeals to Kosovo institutions, international missions, diplomatic representatives, and the Serbian Office for Kosovo and Metohija, the families say no institutional response has ever led to meaningful action.

In their fifth open letter - addressed to EULEX, OSCE, UNMIK, the embassies of the Quint countries, and Kosovo central authorities (published via KoSSev) -  the landowners call for the formation of a working group to visit the site and directly assess the situation.

“We are old and ill, living as displaced people and left powerless. Please understand that we no longer have time for empty promises,” they write.

“Systematic destruction with institutional knowledge”

According to the letter, the problem began in the year 2000 reportedly as a result of ethnic hostility. The Serbian residents were expelled from Miroce, and their property was not only seized but allegedly systematically destroyed and exploited - with the perpetrators even receiving agricultural subsidies for the land, they claim.

Between 2007 and 2016, all remaining homes were completely demolished. Orchards were uprooted, forests cut down, wells filled in, and parcel boundaries plowed over to consolidate the land. Building materials from the demolished houses, the families say, were used to construct a large farm, which now occupies the entire area.

The families say they have been denied access to their property for the entire 25-year period. They claim they know the names of those currently using the land, based on witness statements and official police and court records.

Authorities treating a systemic problem as a private dispute

The affected families argue that both local and judicial institutions have persistently treated this as a minor dispute between individuals, ignoring its scope - both in terms of the number of people affected and the seriousness of the alleged crimes.

They allege that a single Albanian family is responsible for extensive property destruction, illegal occupation, and violence, causing damages they estimate to exceed two million euros. Despite filing numerous criminal complaints, Kosovo prosecutorial bodies have, they claim, failed to act.

Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/37t79evm

NGOs’ letter to ombudsman Qelaj regarding his statement on harassment of girls and women in north (Kosovo Online, Radio Mitrovica sever, alternativna.com, social media)

Non-governmental organizations from the north of Kosovo requested, in an open letter, clarification from the Ombudsperson Naim Qelaj in connection with his statement regarding the NGO's allegations of harassment of women and girls in the northern part of Kosovo, in which he pointed out that in the absence of officially reported cases, these allegations "may be part of an attempt by certain groups to damage the reputation of Kosovo police".

NGOs from the north requested clarification of the recent statement of the ombudsman in the show "Kallxo Pernime", in which he commented on the allegations made by civil society organizations, among other actors, regarding the harassment of women and girls in the northern part of Kosovo.

“Dear Mr. Qelaj,

We are writing to respectfully request clarification regarding your recent public statement made in the Kallxo Përnime program, in which you commented on the allegations raised by civil society organizations, among other actors, about the harassment of women and girls in northern Kosovo.

As you are aware, in response to numerous citizen reports and growing media coverage of harassment incidents—particularly affecting women and girls, including minors—in northern Kosovo, a group of civil society organizations publicly raised concerns about the lack of adequate institutional response. The joint statement, issued earlier this month by CASA, NSI, InTER, Aktiv, and ACDC, mentioned disturbing incidents involving people reportedly coming from the direction of South Mitrovica and the failure of the Kosovo Police to respond effectively. The statement further expressed concern over allegations of witness intimidation and institutional inaction.

In your interview, you acknowledged that your office had met with representatives of the Serbian community and relevant institutions, including the Police Inspectorate of Kosovo and the Kosovo Police. You also affirmed that all such allegations merit serious investigation. However, we were deeply concerned by your additional remark that, in the absence of officially reported cases, these allegations “could be part of an attempt by certain groups to discredit the reputation of the Kosovo Police.”

Given the gravity of the issue at hand—and in the spirit of transparency and public trust—we would appreciate clarification on the following points:

1. On what basis was the suggestion made that the raised allegations may be part of a reputational campaign against the Kosovo Police? Were there any findings or evidence that informed this assessment?

2. In light of its constitutional mandate to safeguard human rights, how does the Ombudsperson’s Office ensure that victims who may fear institutional retaliation feel adequately protected and encouraged to come forward?

3. In your public statement, you asserted that the Kosovo Police have not received any officially reported cases of such harassment. However, at least three such cases have, in fact, been reported to the police, and authorities have confirmed that there is evidence supporting these reports. Could you please clarify the basis for your statement, and whether your Office has since taken steps to verify or correct this information?

4. Has your office initiated or considered initiating ex officio investigations into allegations of institutional misconduct or neglect in the reported harassment cases?

5. What measures is the Ombudsperson’s Office undertaking to monitor the work of the Kosovo Police and Police Inspectorate in the north, given the broader findings presented in our recent joint report “Ethnicization of Kosovo Police: Erosion of Ahtisaari’s Basis of a Civic and Multiethnic Institution”?

We wish to reaffirm our commitment to open and constructive engagement with your institution and other oversight bodies in Kosovo. As part of this engagement, the five undersigned organizations have, in multiple meetings with your Office, raised a range of human rights and rule of law concerns, consistently providing arguments, facts, and evidence to inform your work and support institutional accountability. We strongly believe that the public narrative surrounding such sensitive issues must be grounded in facts and careful consideration, so as not to discourage victims from speaking out or erode public confidence in accountability mechanisms.

We remain at your disposal for a meeting or further dialogue, and we thank you in advance for your attention to this matter.”

Center for Affirmative Social Actions (CASA), New Social Initiative (NSI), Institute for Territorial Economic Development (InTER), NGO Aktiv and Center for Advocacy of Democratic Culture (ACDC) are signatories of this statement.

Patriotism as a cover for an attack on civil sector (Radio Gorazdevac)

The latest text published in KosovaPress, based on the statements of Gurakuq Kuqi from the Octopus Institute, represents “an attempt to politically disqualify the non-governmental sector in the north of Kosovo”.

In the text, without any effort to respect the basic professional standards, “Kuqi makes serious accusations against the organization NGO Aktiv and other NGOs in the north, calling them part of the "hybrid war" against the institutions of Kosovo”, reported Radio Gorazdevac today. 

Radio Gorazdevac reports that in a democratic society, especially when it comes to sensitive political and security topics, it is crucial to respect the right to reply and ensure pluralism of opinion. 

Journalistic ethics dictate that each side, especially those who are directly accused or targeted, be given the opportunity to present their position, recalled this radio. 

Ignoring that right to reply and the accusatory tone not only undermines the credibility of the media but also contributes to an atmosphere of mistrust and polarization. The media must not be an instrument in the hands of political interests, but guardians of truth, professionalism, and responsibility towards the public.

Without any concrete evidence, without any document or independent source, Kuqi claimed that these organizations were a continuation of the activities of Milan Radoicic's structures, that they manipulated the public using women and girls as "emotional weak points of the Balkans", and that they aim to delegitimize the Kosovo Police.

Such a statement is not only manipulative - it is dangerous, and it does not respect the right of the other party to respond.

According to Radio Gorazdevac, “not only that KosovaPress does not verify any of these claims, but it conveys them as indisputable facts, without asking the organization in question for comment, without additional sources, without context. Without any fact-checking, this kind of text is not in accordance with journalistic standards - it is an invitation to a public lynching”.

In the text, NGO Aktiv is disqualified as an organization without "multi-ethnicity", despite many years of work in the field, cooperation with international actors and open public action.

This claim conveyed in the interview, which suggests that only "ethnic composition" decides the legitimacy of an organization, is pure ethnic engineering for political purposes, writes the radio.

It is particularly disturbing that women and girls are called "the weak point of the character of Albanians and Balkans", thus relativizing possible victims of sexual harassment and instrumentalizing them in the political reckoning. This attitude, which was conveyed in the text, is not only deeply sexist and shameful, but also humiliating for the citizens of Kosovo themselves and is not in accordance with journalistic ethics, concluded Radio Gorazdevac.

Kuqi's accusations against NGO Aktiv; The NGO demand a public apology (KiM radio, KoSSev)

Gurakuq Kuqi from the Octopus Institute warned about the "hybrid war" that, as he claimed, some Serbian non-governmental organizations are waging in the north of Kosovo, among which he particularly singles out "NGO Aktiv", reported KiM radio.

"These accusations are not only slanderous and unfounded, but also a direct attack on the professional integrity of our team and an attempt to criminalize the legitimate work of the civil sector," reads the press release of the NGO Aktiv.

Kuqi claimed that Aktiv was trying to "create a new narrative" and that it acted through "soft power" after unsuccessful attempts of destabilization of armed attacks in Banjska and Zvecan. He claimed that organizations in the north were manipulating with "emotional topics", such as the alleged abuse of women and girls by the Kosovo police, in order to, as he said, delegitimize the institutions of Kosovo and provoke a reaction from international forces such as KFOR and EULEX.

According to Kuqi, the goal was to create space for the return of parallel structures associated with Milan Radoicic, because the international forces do not know the tactics of those groups as the Kosovo police do.

The non-governmental organization Aktiv strongly condemned the statements of Gurakuq Kuqi, a senior associate of the "Octopus Institute for Hybrid Warfare Studies", published by the Kosovapress news agency on May 18. In a statement sent to the media, Aktiv states that the accusations made against them and other organizations from the north of Kosovo are "absolutely untrue, malicious and dangerous".

They remind that Kuqi previously accused civil society organizations of waging a hybrid war against Kosovo institutions, and of trying to delegitimize the Kosovo Police and promote the interests of parallel structures. NGO Aktiv rejects these claims as "gross and deliberately placed falsehoods" with the aim of endangering the safety of their members and discrediting the long-term work on the protection of human rights.

"These accusations are not only slanderous and unfounded, but also a direct attack on the professional integrity of our team and an attempt to criminalize the legitimate work of the civil sector," read the statement sent to the media.

Activ considers particularly scandalous the claim by which Kuqi, without any evidence, links them to the armed conflict in Banjska from 2023, which they call "a direct call to social and institutional persecution".

The organization also criticized Kuqi's statements that questioned the motives of the testimonies of women from northern Kosovo who reported abuse by the security services. "These statements further victimize women and render meaningless any attempt to point out institutional failures," the organization said.

Aktiv warns that this kind of rhetoric can further destabilize the situation in the north of Kosovo and worsen security conditions for activists involved in the protection of human rights.

At the same time, Aktiv states that the Kosovapress agency did not contact their organization for comments or clarifications, nor did they attempt to fact-check the serious accusations and targeting that they published.

"We believe that the principles of professional journalism, including the provisions of the Kosovo Press Council Code, as well as the Code of Conduct of the Independent Media Commission (NKM) for providers of audio and audiovisual media services, have been grossly violated."

Accordingly, NGO Aktiv requests that:

• Gurakuq Kuqi and the organization "Octopus" issue a public apology for making untrue, malicious, and dangerous claims against NGO Aktiv and other civil society organizations. This apology must be delivered to Kosovapress and other media outlets in Kosovo that reported or may report those allegations;

• The Kosovapress portal, which published the controversial statement without prior checking of the facts, remove the text from its platform and publish a public apology in accordance with the basic principles of professional journalism;

• The media reporting in the Albanian language in Kosovo, by publishing this statement, show their commitment to true and responsible journalism and thereby protect their own professional integrity, as well as the space for free and impartial reporting;

• The international community urgently reacts and publicly condemns such attacks on civil society, which are increasingly carried out through unfounded accusations and targeting by irresponsible individuals and organizations. Such attacks represent a serious threat to the freedom of action of non-governmental organizations and further narrow the already limited space for civil sector action in Kosovo.

In addition to Aktiv, other NGOs also support this announcement:

New Social Initiative (NSI), Center for Affirmative Social Action (CASA), Institute for Territorial Economic Development (InTER), Advocacy Center for Democratic Culture (ACDC), Gracanica Online, UPŽ Avenija, Communication for Social Development (CSD), Center for Social Initiatives (CSI), Human Center Mitrovica (HCM), Center for Peace and Tolerance (CPT), Forum for Development and Multi-Ethnic Cooperation (FDMC), Environmental Medical Expert Group (EMEG)

“Neighbor watches” on streets of Mitrovica North as of Friday evening (Radio KIM)

As of Friday evening, the mobile patrols of a newly established “Neighbor watches” started touring streets in Mitrovica North. Made of smaller groups, including women, they tour streets aiming to, as they said, contribute to increased safety in local communities, Radio KIM reported.

The “Neighbor watches” were introduced following recent incident of sexual harassment targeting the Serbian girls. The victims accused Albanian men of being responsible. The watches were introduced as per initiative of Aleksandar Arsenijevic, leader of the Serbian Democracy, whom the victims addressed for support on several occasions.

“Our goal is clear – to be present on the streets, with our presence to discourage sexual predators and for police to start reacting seriously and efficiently to each report”, Aleksandra Dimic said.

She dismissed comments from the Albanian community that this initiative represents “bridge watchers”, “civilian protection” or alleged parallel security structure as ill-intended and misleading.

“We are not a parallel structure. Each incident will be diligently reported to the police and their action on those reports would be demanded”, she underlined. She explained they are not armed, that they informed Kosovo police at local and central levels about their initiative, as well as that their goal is to be the support to those who are harassed.  

Witnesses in a trial: Dragan Milovic saved our lives in Vucitrn (Radio KIM)

The trial of Zoran Kostic and Dragan Milovic, accused of allegedly committing war crimes in Vucitrn municipality, continued on Friday at the Basic Court in Pristina by hearing of the three prosecution’s witnesses, Radio KIM reported.

The prosecutor in the case, Florie Shamoli asked the witness F.B. if he was in Kosovo during the conflict and what happened on May 22, 1999 at the cemetery in Vucitrn. The witness F.B. explained that they were surrounded by Serbian forces, wearing different uniforms and arms, and that they took Albanian civilians to the cemetery.

“Dragan Milovic saved me and my family”, the witness said briefly.

He said he saw Dragan Milovic wearing a police uniform. “(…) when he saw me, he told me to take my booklet and come over there. I went for my family and booklets, and he told me to go home. He saved me, there were other people asking for help, but he was saving people he knew. I took my wife and children and went home, I do not know what happened with other people”, the witness said. The witness also said he does not know if Dragan Milovic was wearing a uniform before the conflict.

“I have heard that he saved other people too”, he underlined. Asked by the judge if he personally saw Dragan Milovic mistreating someone during the conflict, and if he knew Zoran Kostic, the witness replied that he did not see such things, and that he does not know Zoran Kostic.

Witness T.R. on Milovic: Instead of trying criminals, you are accusing an innocent man

Another witness of the prosecution T.R. said he was Dragan Milovic’s neighbor. He explained that on May 22, 1999, the masked police officers, he did not know, took people to the cemetery.

He added that after some time he saw his neighbour Dragan Milovic, whom they called Musa, at the cemetery, and that saved him and members of his family. During the hearing he thanked Dragan Milovic for the help.

“This man saved around 300 to 400 people at the cemetery alone, he was in ordinary uniform. He spoke to me and asked me where my family members and friends were, and told us where to run in order to avoid uniformed personnel”, he said.

The witness also testified that before the conflict, Dragan was young and he never saw him wearing a police uniform.

“I was surprised when I heard that you arrested him, you took the wrong man”, he said. “The only thing I can tell you, I have four kids, and want to make a vow that you need to support this man, Dragan Milovic, as if he were my brother. If we want justice today, whether he is a Serb or of any other nationality, this is the man who saved not only me, but also more than 300 people, he only did good, nothing more”, the witness said, asking the judicial panel to act fair.

The witness argued if Dragan did anything bad during the conflict, he would not dare come to Vucitrn after it, and he at least visited this town dozens of times.

“Instead of trying criminals, you are accusing here an innocent man”, he underlined, adding that he did not know the second defendant in the case Zoran Kostic.

Third witness: I saw Kostic on television

The last witness in a hearing on Friday, S.K. who was the chair of the Council of Human Rights and Freedoms in Vucitrn before the conflict, told the court he saw Zoran Kostic “on television”. He explained he did not know Zoran Kostic earlier but saw him giving an interview in March and April in 1999 when offensive on Cicavica region was taking place, and that “made an impression on him”. He further explained he did not see Kostic afterwards, and that after the conflict when he was Vucitrn deputy mayor he saw Kostic in a meeting with UAE representatives, but did not sit with him at the same table, as according to him “Kostic was a suspected war criminal”. After that, he added, he never saw Kostic again.

He also explained the nature of his job was to investigate and he did a couple of interviews and Zoran Kostic was mentioned in several cases of burning properties, expulsion and murders.

Kostic’s defence lawyer Predrag Miljkovic said the witness should speak about his own experiences and not legalize someone else’s statements.

He asked the witness if he personally saw Kostic or his findings derive from television or statements of other people. Asked by the lawyer if he has any material evidence for the statement that Kostic was a suspect in a war crime case by prosecution, the witness said he does not have it. Asked by the judge if he knows of a concrete case where Kostic could be seen committing the violence, the witness claimed to have 900-page material that he still did not manage to read all and that Kostic is mentioned in three or four cases.

Lawyer: I expect acquittal in Caslav Jolic’s case if court rules based on facts (Radio KIM)

Miodrag Brkljac, defense lawyer of Caslav Jolic, accused of allegedly committing war crimes in Djurakovac against three Albanians in 1998, voiced expectation about positive outcome in a retrial of his client, who has been in detention for three years already, Radio KIM reported.

In a first-instance trial Jolic was sentenced to 8 years in prison, however the Court of Appeals annulled that verdict and ordered a retrial.

In a retrial, not all evidence was presented again, as the party agreed to focus on testimonies of the three affected Albanians. Jolic decided to remain silent, referring to his earlier statements from the first trial, which have become part of the case files.

Brkljac argued that evidence presented by the prosecution does not meet international legal standards and does not establish guilt beyond reasonable doubt. He also pointed out the principle “in dubio pro reo” that in case of doubt the decision is made in favour of the defendant.

He underlined that if the court will make a decision based on facts his client will be acquitted.

Nenad Stojanovic from Pasjane accused of war crimes in poor health condition (KoSSev, Radio KIM)

Nenad Stojanovic from Pasjane who was arrested in August 2024 under accusations of allegedly committing war crimes in Kosovo and remains in detention ever since is in poor health condition, Radio KIM reported citing its sources.

Stojanovic is one of the five Serbs from Kosovo Pomoravlje arrested in August last year, under the same accusations. As his defense lawyer Milos Nikolic said, Stojanovic a few days ago suffered an epileptic seizure and lost consciousness on several occasions.

As Radio KIM reported, Stojanovic has suffered from this condition since his childhood, and also suffers from psychological and neurological problems, as well as cardiovascular conditions. As his lawyer said, the medical opinion is that detention negatively affects his complete health situation. The same fact was pointed out during the preliminary hearing of Stojanovic and a request was made for him to be released pending trial but the request was not approved. The lawyer also said requests were made to commute detention into house arrest measures and the bail was also proposed, but neither were accepted. 

“Now the appeal was filed to determine the legality of detention, and we have requested several times examination of his psychological condition but we did not receive any response. We consider this a matter of urgency, as  a fatal outcome may occur”, lawyer Nikolic warned.

CoE: Condition for Kosovo membership is dialogue with all communities, including people in north (Kosovo Online)

Secretary General of the Council of Europe Alain Berset pointed out the conditions that Kosovo must fulfill in order to become a member of this international organization, emphasizing that one of them is for Pristina to recognize the European Court of Human Rights, and another is to engage in dialogue with all communities, including all citizens in northern Kosovo, reported Kosovo Online, citing Klan Kosova.  

“In order to become a member of the Council of Europe, several criteria must be met. One of the conditions is to become a party to the European Convention on Human Rights, to recognize the European Court of Human Rights—the most important body of the Council of Europe—as well as to implement all decisions of the European Convention on Human Rights,” he said in an interview for Klan Kosova. 

He explained why it is important for Kosovo to recognize the European Court of Human Rights.

“I believe it is in the interest of all citizens, that is, of all member states, to have access to the Court and to be aware of all human rights violations, to be able to address them and for the Court to make rulings on them,” Berset stated.

He stressed that another important issue is dialogue with all communities in Kosovo.

“That is one part, while the other, as you know, is the inclusion of and dialogue with all citizens living in the territory of Kosovo, including those in the north. You are well aware of the conditions put forward by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, which will be a key and very important element in all discussions,” Berset said.

Analyst Spahiu: I discussed dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia with Minister Djuric (Danas, Beta)

Analyst Nexhmedin Spahiu said yesterday that during the meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Serbia, Marko Djuric, he discussed the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia and other topics, reported Danas. 

On Saturday, he posted a picture with Djuric on Facebook, and after that he received numerous criticisms from people from Kosovo.

In a statement to Pristina's TV1, Spahiu explained how the meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Serbia took place.

"I have known the minister for more than 10 years, we communicate. I am here in Belgrade at a conference; he found out that I was present and invited me to a meeting. We stayed and talked for about an hour about the challenges in the region, about the problems that exist in the Balkans, about the dialogue and relations between Kosovo and Serbia, about inter-ethnic relations. I wear the flag of Kosovo on my jacket, it is the same when I am in Belgrade and in every other place - it is natural," said Spahiu.

Minister Marko Djuric also announced on social network X about the meeting he had with Spahiu and wrote that they talked about ways to overcome tensions and improve inter-ethnic relations.

International

Exhibition commemorates Kosovo Albanian soldiers killed in Yugoslav Army (PI)

Kosovo is calling for justice for Albanian soldiers murdered while serving in the former Yugoslav army. Family members recall horrors of the 80’s and early 90’s and an Albanian photographer, who did his mandatory military service under Ratko Mladić, has documented the events and is offering evidence to the Kosovo Institute for War Crimes.

For the first time in more than three decades, Kosovo has initiated public discussion on a forgotten chapter in its history, Albanian soldiers who were killed or disappeared during their mandatory military service in the Yugoslav People’s Army, JNA, during the 1980’s and early 1990’s. 

The Kosovo War Crimes Institute, established in 2023, started a series of public forums called “Zá n’Kujtesë” (In Remembrance) on May 12, 2025, with an exhibition, the first of its kind, featuring dozens of photographs, documents, and witness statements. It honors the deaths of 135 young men—soldiers in their early 20’s—who lost their lives under suspicious circumstances, which were never investigated, during their mandatory military service between 1951 and 1993. 

Atdhe Hetemi, the director of the Institute for War Crimes in Kosovo, called the exhibition an attempt to build deep, honest, and lasting memory by courageously confronting the past. 

“The killing of Albanian soldiers in the Yugoslav army is only one of many dark chapters that have remained unaddressed and unacknowledged by institutions for decades,” Hetemi said.

“These young men, called to serve in a military that promised brotherhood and equality, instead found themselves in a system that led to their deaths—often in orchestrated and deliberately concealed circumstances,” he added. 

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