Albanian Language Media: 

• Assembly not constituted; VV calls for political agreement (media)
• Limaj says Konjufca’s call for political agreement is “a fair position” (Express)
• Krasniqi: Haxhiu will fail in the next session too (RFE)
• Kusari-Lila says new elections are being seen as a solution (Koha)
• Haradinaj: We’re open if other parties find a way to constitute Assembly (media)
• Bajrami: We’re not asking for another name from VV for the Speaker (Koha)
• Police arrest three persons suspected of “war crimes against civilians” (media)
• Kosovo leaders send condolences on passing of Pope Francis (media)

Serbian Language Media: 

• Office for KiM: Kurti wants to cover up political defeats by arresting Serbs (Tanjug, media)
• Serbian List: Practice of baseless arrests of Serbs must end (KoSSev, media)
• Serbian Orthodox Church Patriarch Porfirije celebrates Easter in Kosovo (media, social media)
• Vucic: With Pope Francis's death, world has lost spiritual leader who was spreading love, peace (Tanjug, media)
• Blakaj: Sufferings of Roma, Ashkali, and Egyptians have been marginalized (Kosovo Online)
• Neziri: There is no political will in Kosovo or EU to address sufferings of Roma (Kosovo Online)
• Serbian ministers discuss blockade of RTS with EU, Quint representatives (media)
• Public broadcaster files criminal complaint over blockades (N1, RTS, media)
• Thousands gather at RTS blockade party (N1, media)

International:

• Balkan Leaders Express Sorrow After Death of Pope Francis (Balkan Insight)

Albanian Language Media 

Assembly not constituted; VV calls for political agreement (media)

The leading story in all media on Monday was another failed attempt to constitute the new Assembly of Kosovo. Telegrafi reported that the session, which started on Monday, was interrupted immediately after session chair Avni Dehari asked the Vetevendosje Movement to propose a candidate for the Assembly Speaker. VV MP Glauk Konjufca said that they still have the same candidate – Albulena Haxhiu. He also said that being that other parties have said they will vote against her, additional time is needed for internal and inter-party consultations. “Vetevendosje has the same candidate, Albulena Haxhiu. As we have seen the other parties saying yesterday that they will maintain their positions, I think that the current situation can be solved only through a political agreement … Without a majority in the Assembly for the Assembly Speaker, the new Assembly cannot be constituted … The same goes for the deputy speakers of the Assembly … This is why we are asking for additional time so that the same situation is not repeated,” he said. 

The session chair then interrupted the session, and it was decided that it will continue on Wednesday. 

Limaj says Konjufca’s call for political agreement is “a fair position” (Express)

NISMA leader Fatmir Limaj said VV MP Glauk Konjufca had “a fair position” when he called for additional time so that the same situation is not repeated with regards to the failure to elect a new Assembly Speaker. “I believe it was a fair position. This is the reality. Sometimes you are faced with situations when you need to find a way to move forward. I believe this was a fair position to find such a way. After all, this is how cooperation functions, finding a way for Kosovo to have its new institutions. I hope that starting from today efforts will be made to get closer and to give a chance to the creation of new institutions,” Limaj argued. 

Krasniqi: Haxhiu will fail in the next session too (RFE)

Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) leader Memli Krasniqi said on Monday that the Vetevendosje Movement needs to propose another candidate for the post of Assembly Speaker that is acceptable to other political parties. He called on VV, as the winner of the elections, to give up on attempts to elect Albulena Haxhiu as the Assembly Speaker. “Albulena Haxhiu cannot be more important that the creation of institutions,” he said. “The road forward is now clear: the Vetevendosje Movement needs to find another candidate”. 

Kusari-Lila says new elections are being seen as a solution (Koha)

MP from the Vetevendosje Movement, Mimoza Kusari-Lila, said on Monday that in the current circumstances in terms of constituting the new Assembly, the likeliest and most acceptable solution seems to be new elections. “In this situation, the way that other parliamentary groups are barricading themselves, we need to agree on another topic. Let us summon the parliamentary groups, constitute the new Assembly and agree with 80 votes in favor to dissolve the Assembly and go to new elections. This seems to be the closest and most acceptable solution in the current circumstances,” she said.

Kusari-Lila also said that Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) leader Memli Krasniqi too has started proposing dates for new elections. 

Haradinaj: We are open if other parties find a way to constitute Assembly (media)

Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) leader Ramush Haradinaj said on Monday that his party is open if the other parties find a way for constituting the Assembly and voting in favor of an Assembly Speaker if the Vetevendosje Movement changes their candidate for the post. “In the past there have been negotiations for the post of Assembly Speaker. If the vote of the opposition is needed so that the whole Assembly can vote for the Speaker, there is sense in the candidate discussing this with the opposition. A more consensual candidate than [Albulena] Haxhiu. We gave several opinions about other candidates. If the opposition and other parties want to find a way to move beyond constituting the Assembly, we the Alliance are open,” he argued.

Bajrami: We’re not asking for another name from VV for the Speaker (Koha)

Head of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) parliamentary group, Hykmete Bajrami, said on Monday that the Vetevendosje Movement is asking all MPs to vote in favor of their candidate for Assembly Speaker. She said that after the fourth failure at the constitutive session, the LDK “is not asking for any another candidate for Assembly Speaker” from the Vetevendosje Movement. “The real blockers are Vetevendosje. They need to sit down with other parties. We are not the ones asking for another candidate. They, as the winning party, can propose a candidate from another group and we can meet and see how we will vote,” she said. 

Police arrest three persons suspected of “war crimes against civilians” (media)

Most news reported on Monday that Kosovo Police arrested three persons – two in Lipjan and one in Pristina – suspected of committing war crimes against civilians in 1998-1999 at Pristina Prison and the Correctional Center in Lipjan. The three suspects – who worked as prison guardians and correctional officers – are suspected of taking party in the mistreatment, beating and physical and mental abuse of Albanian prisoners. 

Kosovo leaders send condolences on passing of Pope Francis (media)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti said in a post on X on Monday that “on this Easter Monday — a day of hope and renewal for Christians around the world — we mourn the passing of His Holiness Pope Francis. His legacy of humility, justice, and compassion will endure. On behalf of the people of Kosova, I offer our deepest condolences. May he rest in peace”.

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani said “the people of the Republic of Kosovo join millions around the world in mourning the passing of His Holiness, Pope Francis - a voice of compassion, humility, and justice in our time. His legacy will live on in the countless lives he touched. We stand with all those who carry forward his enduring message of hope, peace, and human dignity”.

Serbian Language Media  

Office for KiM: Kurti wants to cover up political defeats by arresting Serbs (Tanjug, media)

The Serbian Government Office for Kosovo and Metohija said on Monday that “the most recent wave of arrests of Serbs in the province under the false pretext of war crimes, on the second day of Easter, fully demonstrated Pristina's desperation and an anti-Serb orientation of Albin Kurti, who wants to cover up his political defeats by attacking Serbs", Tanjug news agency reported.

In a statement, the Office for KIM said it was no coincidence the arrests had taken place on the day "Kurti again failed to push through his candidate for the speaker of the so-called Kosovo assembly and suffered a debacle".

The Office for KiM also said in a statement that one of the arrestees, “Boban T - who has been living and working in Lipljan, Kosovo and Metohija, for a full 26 years after the conflict in the province - was a political victim of the (Albin) Kurti’s regime and that he had lived peacefully in his home, only to be arrested on false charges on Monday. Nadica C, who had been visiting Lipljan for years without any problems until Kurti and Pristina's interior minister (Xhelal Svecla) decided to declare her a war criminal without evidence, was arrested under the same circumstances”.

A total of three Serbs were arrested in Lipljan and Pristina earlier on Monday under charges of alleged war crimes against civilians during the 1998-1999 conflict in Kosovo. The Office for KiM said attorneys had been assigned to the arrestees immediately and that any assistance would be provided as well. It also said it would contact all international missions over this, as it said, political retaliation against the Serbs to point out a new wave of repression against them.

Serbian List: Practice of baseless arrests of Serbs must end (KoSSev, media)

“Four years of terror against Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija, Albin Kurti’s regime brings to an end in the same manner, detaining Serbs for the most serious criminal acts without any evidence, as per rule, in front of all international representatives”, Serbian List said in a statement reacting to the arrest of three Serbs, former prison guards, under charges of allegedly committing war crimes in Kosovo, KoSSev portal reported. “To make things even worse, arrests were made in the times of Easter, additionally intimidating Serbian people”, the statement also said.

Serbian List condemned the arrests, adding it has become obvious “that Albin Kurti can’t come to terms with defeats at the Assembly in Pristina, so he diverts attention from his problems and his inability to get his proposal for parliament speaker adopted by terrorizing the Serbian people".

Serbian List warned that practice of baseless arrests of Serbs must stop, arguing that responsibility for such practice, as they said, rests with representatives of international missions in Kosovo, Quint embassies, but also other institutions that have never published data on cases in which “magic witnesses appear” who allegedly “know something today, but did not know the same all those previous years".

"At all meetings with international representatives, Serbian List will insist on consistent respect for the presumption of innocence and the rule of law, and not on the use of force, as established by Albin Kurti's regime”, the statement said.

Serbian Orthodox Church Patriarch Porfirije celebrates Easter in Kosovo (media, social media)

Serbian Orthodox Church Patriarch Porfirije arrived at Pec Patriarchate on Friday afternoon on the occasion of Easter holiday, Serbian media reported. In a post on X social platform dedicated to the visit, Visoki Decani Monastery said that “in the early hours of Holy Pascha, at the ancient 13th-century Patriarchate of Peć - his historic and canonical seat - His Holiness #Serbian #Orthodox #Patriarch Porfirije presided over the radiant Paschal Divine Liturgy in the Church of the Holy Apostles. Concelebrating with him were His Grace Bishop Ilarion, Vicar Bishop of the Patriarch, His Grace Bishop Nikon, and local clergy. The #liturgy was attended by hundreds of faithful from across Kosovo and Metohija, including many children who joyfully participated in the feast of feasts”.

“Among the participants was the revered 90-year-old Abbess of the Monastery, Mother Haritina, who, despite her advanced age and fragile health, joined the sisterhood and the congregation in the Paschal celebration - a deeply moving expression of lifelong devotion. Following the Divine Liturgy, Patriarch Porfirije personally distributed scholarships to nearly 100 young people from Kosovo and Metohija, supporting their continued education through the humanitarian efforts of the Serbian Orthodox Church. This gesture underscored the Church’s enduring commitment to the youth and future of the region.

In a spirit of Paschal fellowship, the Patriarch welcomed the Mayor of Peć/Peja, Mr. Gazmend Muhaxheri, along with his closest associates, and hosted a traditional Easter meal for all present. This gesture of hospitality offered a clear message of mutual respect and peaceful coexistence”, it was also said in the post.

Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/k38mb6my

Vucic: With Pope Francis's death, world has lost spiritual leader who was spreading love, peace (Tanjug, media)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Monday he had received with great sadness the news of the passing of the leader of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Francis. "The world has lost an exceptional spiritual leader who was spreading love, peace and solidarity through his apostolic activity", Vucic wrote in a post on X.

He noted that Pope Francis's work on strengthening inter-religious dialogue and his commitment to humanism had left an indelible mark in history. "Pope Francis was the harbinger of hope and reconciliation, always in the service of those most in danger", Vucic added, extending his condolences to the Roman Catholic Church and its faithful. Earlier, the Vatican announced that Pope Francis had died at the age of 88 on Monday morning.

Serbian Orthodox Church Patriarch Porfirije also extended his condolences saying that Pope Francis “was a man of peace and understanding among the people”. Patriarch Porfirije said he received with sorrow the news of the passing of Pope Francis. Recalling that he had an opportunity to meet him personally on several occasions, Patriarch Porfirije said he was “a man who has always strived for peace, dialogue and cooperation, in particular with Orthodox Churches”. "The Serbian Orthodox Church is grateful to him for his deep understanding of the tragic historical legacy of the area where the Serbian Orthodox people live", the Patriarch said.

Blakaj: Sufferings of Roma, Ashkali, and Egyptians have been marginalized (Kosovo Online)

Humanitarian Law Centre Executive Director Bekim Blakaj, said this organization documented the deaths of 276 Roma, Ashkali, and Egyptians during and after the 1999 conflict, but that the issue remains marginalized in Kosovo because neither society nor the political elites are interested in addressing crimes against these ethnic communities, Kosovo Online portal reported.

"Unfortunately, in Kosovo, there is no discussion about the victims of Roma, Ashkali, and Egyptian nationality. The focus is mostly on the suffering of Albanians. These communities – Roma, Ashkali, and Egyptians – are particularly marginalized, and very little is written or spoken about their suffering. There is almost no day of remembrance for Roma victims in Kosovo. That is the situation. Also, it is rare, almost impossible, to find monuments dedicated to the suffering of Roma in Kosovo", Blakaj told the portal.

He explained that the Humanitarian Law Center in Kosovo, as part of the Kosovo Memory Book project, documented the suffering of Roma during and after the conflict.

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

Neziri: There is no political will in Kosovo or EU to address sufferings of Roma (Kosovo Online)

Writer and expert on Roma issues at the Council of Europe, Nexhmedin Neziri said there is no accurate data on how many Roma were killed in Kosovo during and after the NATO intervention, but it is evident that there is no political will, either in Pristina or in the EU, to resolve this issue.

“Roma began to suffer even before 1999. There were threats, attempted kidnappings, everything. That persecution began in 1998. Pressure was exerted on those working at the Trepca factory. There were many such methods, and the most common was intimidation”, Neziri told Kosovo Online.

Now living in France, Neziri, a former athlete from Mitrovica, is a chronicler of the suffering of Roma in this city after 1999. He dedicated his poetry collection “Don’t Forget” to this subject.

Read more at: https://shorturl.at/bu6hL

Serbian ministers discuss blockade of RTS with EU, Quint representatives (media)

Serbian Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Ivica Dacic, Foreign Minister Marko Djuric and Justice Minister Nenad Vojic met with representatives of Quint states and the EU Delegation to Serbia on Friday to inform them “of the gravity of the situation regarding an illegal blockade of national public broadcaster RTS and the consequences the attack has for democratic institutions, safety of media professionals and rule of law in the country”, Tanjug news agency reported.

The ministers noted “that the illegal blockade was a direct attack on media freedoms, safety of journalists and the fundamental principles of a rule-of-law state”, the Interior Ministry said in a statement.

“It is impermissible that, under the pretext of political dissent, a group of individuals should put themselves above the law consciously and systematically, violate the constitutional and legal rights of others and make impossible the operation of a public broadcaster belonging to all citizens of Serbia”, the statement added.

They also said they expected the international community to speak out clearly in defence of those values. "Public gatherings are freely allowed but preventing employees from doing their job and from entering a building, as well as thwarting broadcasts, is not. Those are criminal acts", the ministers said. "The public broadcaster needs to continue to work and institutions need to function, in line with the law and in the interests of the citizens", they noted.

Public broadcaster files criminal complaint over blockades (N1, RTS, media)

Serbian public broadcaster RTS filed a criminal complaint with the First Basic Public Prosecutor’s Office in Belgrade against unidentified persons who claim to be students and have been blocking access to RTS buildings at two locations since April 14, as well as calling on others to join them, N1 reported citing RTS.

According to the complaint, since the beginning of the blockade, RTS journalists and other employees have been prevented from entering the RTS buildings in central Belgrade and in the Kosutnjak neighbourhood, disrupting the broadcaster’s ability to air its programming. The complaint also states that staff have been placed at risk during what RTS described as violent blockades, with police having to escort employees into the buildings, during which they have allegedly been insulted, spat on, and shoved.

In addition, the personal phone numbers of three editors have been shared on social media, and so-called wanted posters targeting certain journalists and editors have been circulated. RTS said these actions pose a direct threat to the safety and lives of its employees.

The broadcaster has also appealed to international bodies for support, calling for urgent responses from the President of the European Commission, the European Commissioner for Enlargement, OSCE representatives in Serbia, the Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations, and ODIHR. The RTS has also reached out to international journalist protection organizations and the European Broadcasting Union, it said on its website.

Thousands gather at RTS blockade party (N1, media)

Students who have been blocking access to Serbian public broadcaster RTS buildings since April 14 spent their seventh night camped outside the public broadcaster’s downtown Belgrade headquarters — with Sunday night drawing the largest turnout yet, reported the BETA news agency.

Thousands of students and citizens surrounded the RTS building, blocking all entry points. As the BETA news agency said, the DJ kept the crowd energized throughout the evening. In addition to students, residents from various Belgrade municipalities and neighborhoods, as well as war veterans, joined the round-the-clock shifts at the protest site.

The crowd carried banners reading “No Evolution Without Revolution”, “Mechanical Engineering Students Against the Machinery”, “College Thinks Critically,” and “Student Radio Television”. Flags of Serbia and flags from the participating university faculties were also on display.

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

International 

Balkan Leaders Express Sorrow After Death of Pope Francis (Balkan Insight)

Balkan leaders and Catholic believers across the region voiced their condolences after the death of Pope Francis, who died at the age of 88 on Easter Monday after a period of ill-health.

Political leaders and religious officials across the Balkans voiced condolences after Pope Francis passed away on Monday morning at the Vatican at the age of 88.

In majority-Catholic Croatia, Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic described Francis as “a man of faith, humility and empathy with the most vulnerable”. Plenkovic briefly met the Pope on Sunday, a day before his death, after he attended Easter Mass at the Vatican and received his blessing.

Read more at: https://shorturl.at/I0JQV