Albanian Language Media: 

• Osmani: Investigation and accountability regarding death of 27-year-old (media)
• Police clarify circumstances of death of 27-year-old (media)
• EULEX calls for full and transparent clarification of tragedy in Lipjan (AP)
• Trump: We prevented Kosovo-Serbia war three weeks ago (Klan)
• MPs to meet today in another attempt to form the new Assembly (media)
• Contract from Serbia for company involved in indictment over Banjska (RFE)
• Krasniqi meets Rohde, discuss recent political developments (media)
• Sorensen meets with Kosovo and Serbia ambassadors in Washington (media)

Serbian Language Media: 

• Serbian List delegation met with UN's Jenca (Tanjug, KoSSev, Kosovo Online)
• Rasic on the bridges on the Ibar: This will be a record for the number of bridges for such a small town (KiM radio, KoSSev, Radio Mitrovica sever)
• Lazarevic: Postponement of start date of US tariffs gives additional space for talks (Tanjug)
• EU ambassador to the US: With Sorensen and ambassadors from the Western Balkans on security and enlargement (Kosovo Online)
• Lucic: Pristina’s accusations about hybrid warfare dangerous and false – Telekom Srbija to file lawsuits against those responsible (Kosovo Online, Euronews)
• Captured institutions and the illusion of reform: The state of rule of law in Serbia in 2025 (N1)

Albanian Language Media 

Osmani calls for investigation and accountability regarding death of 27-year-old (media)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani has reacted to the death of the 27-year-old in Lipjan. “The grave and shocking incident of the death of a 27-year-old man, amid serious suspicions that it occurred during a police intervention, urgently requires full transparency, institutional accountability, and uncompromising justice,” Osmani wrote on Facebook.

According to her, all circumstances of the case must be investigated immediately, independently and professionally, and any official who may have broken the law or exceeded their authority must be brought to justice without delay. “No one is above the law,” Osmani wrote.

Police clarify circumstances of death of 27-year-old (media)

The Kosovo Police, through a press release, have clarified the circumstances of the case in which a 27-year-old man died in Lipjan following his arrest. According to the Police, before the arrest, officers communicated and negotiated with the individual for 5–6 minutes in an attempt to persuade him to voluntarily go to the police station. Additionally, the Police state that during this time, the shift supervisor called for emergency medical assistance, having observed the individual’s physical and psychological condition throughout the interaction.

“In the course of events, the individual was uncooperative and attempted to flee, but police officers managed to arrest him,” the statement reads.

The Police added that an ambulance with an emergency medical team arrived at the scene very quickly (within 3 minutes) to provide first aid, after which the emergency unit confirmed the individual’s death.

The Police stated that personal items and a powdery substance suspected to be narcotics were found in the individual’s possession and have been sent for examination.

“In accordance with legal procedures, investigative units, the Serious Crimes Prosecutor, and the Kosovo Police Inspectorate arrived at the scene. The Kosovo Police, in cooperation and coordination with competent institutions, has undertaken all investigative actions to clarify the case, including securing material evidence and interviewing witnesses. All gathered evidence, including video footage that could assist in clarifying the case, has been shared with the relevant institutions, namely the Police Inspectorate and the Prosecutor’s Office,” the statement says.

Furthermore, the release states that, by decision of the State Prosecutor, a criminal investigation has been initiated regarding the case, and the deceased’s body has been sent to the Institute of Forensic Medicine for autopsy.

Based on the recommendation of the Police Inspectorate, four police officers and one sergeant have been suspended. After being interviewed and the reclassification of the offense, they have been taken into custody by order of the prosecutor.

EULEX calls for full and transparent clarification of tragedy in Lipjan (AP)

The European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX) expects the Kosovar authorities to fully and transparently clarify the circumstances surrounding the suspicious death of 27-year-old Agon Zejnullahu following his arrest around midnight on July 7 in Lipjan. “Considering the immediate initiation of investigations by the Kosovo Police Inspectorate after the death of a person in Lipjan, we expect the competent authorities to fully and transparently clarify the circumstances of the case, fully respecting the rule of law and human rights standards,” wrote the head of the EULEX Mission, Giovanni Barbano, on the social platform X.

The Acting Minister of Internal Affairs, Xhelal Svecla, has reacted to the suspicious death of 27-year-old Agon Zejnullahu but has not taken institutional responsibility for this tragic event.

Trump: We prevented Kosovo-Serbia war three weeks ago (Klan)

The U.S. President Donald Trump once again mentioned Kosovo, on Tuesday evening during a dinner with the Israeli Prime Minister at the White House. He gave more details about his previous statements that he had stopped a war between Kosovo and Serbia, specifying that it happened around three weeks ago. “We did a good job with India and Pakistan, also with Serbia and Kosovo, Rwanda and Congo. And all of this happened in the last three weeks or so, right Marko? And (we stopped) others who were ready to fight, and we stopped many clashes.”

“I think we stopped a lot of major wars, to be honest. Very big ones. It was India and Pakistan. We stopped the war through trade.”

“We dealt with India, with Pakistan, and we told them that we wouldn’t deal with them at all if they went to war. Maybe they were at a stage where they were about to start a nuclear war, since, as you know, they’re nuclear powers. We stopped it, and that was very important. We’re trying to help end this monster created by Biden — the war that’s going on between Russia and Ukraine. It’s a terrible thing.”

“I’m not happy at all with President Putin. But this is something that would never have happened if I were president. That’s a war that simply would not have happened with me.”

“I’m stopping wars; I hate seeing people get killed,” he was heard saying, among other things.

MPs to meet today in another attempt to form the new Assembly (media)

Most news websites report that MPs will meet today in what will be the 44th attempt to form the new Kosovo Assembly. The deadlock is about the election of the new Assembly Speaker, with the Vetevendosje Movement insisting on their candidate Albulena Haxhiu and a secret vote, which is being rejected by parties that have been in the opposition in the previous mandate. 

Contract from Serbia for company involved in indictment over Banjska (RFE)

The Serbian company Rad 028, owned by Radule Stevic, who is indicted for involvement in the Banjska attack in Kosovo (Sept 2023), has received over €30 million in contracts funded by the Serbian government, many awarded after the attack. The contracts were given by Serbian-run provisional municipal bodies in Serb-majority areas of Kosovo and mainly relate to construction, agriculture, and infrastructure projects.

Despite being under U.S. sanctions (along with co-indictee Milan Radoicic) and accusations of money laundering, Rad 028 and affiliated companies, some created just months ago, continue to win lucrative tenders, often as the sole bidders.

Many contracts are linked to companies and individuals also named in Kosovo’s indictment for the Banjska case. These include suspected attackers or their relatives, and businesses allegedly used for fake equipment purchases and cash retention.

The Kosovo government has attempted to block Serbia-funded construction projects lacking legal permits from Pristina, but enforcement has been inconsistent. Despite the criminal links, neither Rad 028 nor its Kosovo-registered affiliates have been blacklisted under Kosovo’s procurement laws, as no formal violations have been confirmed.

From 2018–2021, Stevic’s companies received around €5 million in contracts from Kosovo’s budget, mostly through Serb-majority municipalities operating under Kosovo’s legal system.

Krasniqi meets Rohde, discuss recent political developments (media)

The leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), Memli Krasniqi, met on Tuesday with the German Ambassador to Kosovo, Jorn Rohde. “We discussed the most recent political developments, PDK’s positions, and the necessary way forward to overcome the political deadlock, in accordance with the latest ruling of the Constitutional Court,” Krasniqi announced.

“I thanked the ambassador for his continued support for Kosovo and for his clear voice in defense of democracy and institutional functionality,” Krasniqi’s statement reads.

Sorensen meets with Kosovo and Serbia ambassadors in Washington (media)

The EU special envoy for the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, Peter Sorensen, met in Washington with Kosovo’s Ambassador Ilir Dugolli and Serbia’s Ambassador Dragan Sutanovac as well as other ambassadors from the Western Balkans at the EU embassy. EU’s Ambassador to Washington said that the meeting focused on security, stability and enlargement.

Serbian Language Media

Serbian List delegation met with UN's Jenca (Tanjug, KoSSev, Kosovo Online)

A Serbian List delegation headed by party leader Zlatan Elek met with UN Assistant Secretary-General for Europe, Central Asia and Americas Miroslav Jenca on Tuesday to point out the dramatically difficult position of Serbs in Kosovo, as well as the continuous institutional pressure, politically motivated arrests, ethnically motivated attacks, threats to Serbian Orthodox Church property and organised provocations by the Pristina authorities.

Elek especially noted a systemic marginalization and threats to the collective and individual rights of the Serbs, impermissible violence committed through police and judicial institutions under Albin Kurti's direct control, politically motivated processes aimed at intimidating and demoralizing the Serbs, pressure on health care professionals, teachers, clerks and political representatives, as well as the impermissible construction of new bridges on the Ibar River without consultations with the Serb community, which is perceived as a symbol of divisions and provocations, rather than integration, read the Serbian List statement.

The delegation urged the UN to take concrete steps to safeguard the fundamental human rights and freedoms of the Serbs and to use its authority to highlight a need to return to dialogue, legal certainty and respect for UNSCR 1244.

They said that they sent a clear call to representatives of the international community to finally react to “the institutional and political violence and not to remain silent observers as the social and security position of the Serb population in Kosovo was being eroded before their eyes.”

Rasic about the Ibar bridges: This will be a record for the number of bridges for such a small town (KiM radio, KoSSev, Radio Mitrovica sever)

Minister for Communities and Return in technical mandate Nenad Rasic was yesterday in North Mitrovica, in the municipal building, where an information session was held in connection with the competition that was announced at the beginning of this month by the "Mitrovica" Regional Waterworks. This was the second competition, since this Water Company took over the issue of water supply for the north, that is, it closed the Serbian institution that dealt with it. The previous competition was cancelled, due to the low turnout from the Serbian community, who have an advantage in both competitions, as confirmed last week by the director of Mitrovica Waterworks, Bashkim Kurti.

The session was organized yesterday, as he said, so that as many citizens as possible could hear about the competition, although they did not inform the media about the meeting itself, nor did they announce it. Nevertheless, there were citizens from the Serbian community, as well as several representatives of the civil sector. For Kurti, as well as for Rasic, they had no questions, and they explained the conditions and procedure for the competition.

"We are trying to bring the institutions closer to citizens. I know that citizens are very often little or completely uninformed. This leads to them not knowing how to apply," Rasic told the media. 

The deputy mayor of the municipality of North Mitrovica, Katarina Adjancic was also present at the session. 

KoSSev asked the minister about the announcement of the construction of two bridges over the Ibar, Rasic said that he will repeat what he said at the internal meetings:

"I think there are many more sectors in which it would be better to invest money, rather than building additional bridges in addition to the existing three."

"Now we will have two more, and in terms of the number of inhabitants, which will be a record number of bridges for such a small town," Rasic said.

Lazarevic: Postponement of start date of US tariffs gives additional space for talks (Tanjug)

Serbian Minister of Internal and External Trade Jagoda Lazarevic said on Tuesday the postponement of the start date of US import tariffs until August 1 gave Serbia additional space to continue talks and conduct other activities to address that issue.

Speaking to Tanjug, Lazarevic said the objective was to reach an agreement that would be good for Serbia and Serbia-US economic cooperation.

US President Donald Trump has announced that 14 countries, including Serbia, would face new import tariffs from August 1 unless trade deals were made.

If Belgrade and Washington fail to reach an agreement, the tariffs on Serbian goods and services will amount to 35 pct.

Lazarevic said Trump's message regarding the import tariffs was "clear and unequivocal" and that the US was seeking to make as many trade arrangements as possible to secure better access for its goods.

EU ambassador to the US: With Sorensen and ambassadors from the Western Balkans on security and enlargement (Kosovo Online)

European Union Ambassador to the USA Jovita Neliupsiene met in Washington with the special envoy for dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, Peter Sorensen, and the ambassadors of the Western Balkans, among whom were Serbian and Kosovo diplomatic representatives Dragan Sutanovac and Ilir Dugolli, reported Kosovo Online yesterday. 

Neliupsiene pointed out that security, stability and expansion of the Union to the region were discussed at the meeting.

"It was my pleasure to welcome the EU's special representative for dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina during his first visit to the US in this position. Alongside Ambassadors of the Western Balkans, security, stability and enlargement were on the agenda. Unity is the key to move forward," Neliupsiene wrote on X day before yesterday.

Lucic: Pristina’s accusations about hybrid warfare dangerous and false – Telekom Srbija to file lawsuits against those responsible (Kosovo Online, Euronews)

The CEO of Telekom Srbija, Vladimir Lucic, stated last night that accusations claiming Belgrade is waging hybrid warfare against Kosovo through the company and that a bomb threat to the Kosovo parliament allegedly originated from an MTS number are “an absurd and shameful attack on a company that has been a thorn in Pristina’s side for two years.” He emphasized that such attacks will no longer be tolerated and that anyone accusing Telekom Srbija of such dangerous activities will face lawsuits and compensation claims.

“I believe there are two goals here. First, nervousness because they can’t form a new majority, and second, pressure on the Serbs – particularly now on our company,” Lucic told Euronews Serbia.

He recalled that Pristina’s authorities tried to shut down Telekom on Kosovo two years ago.

“They issued a decision for our shutdown, which we managed to prevent with the help of the international community. The attacks come almost daily, but Telekom will now respond more firmly. We will react more strongly than before because this is no longer just political pressure, but a direct attack on our work and presence,” Lucic said.

Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/5n8xm8zr

Captured institutions and the illusion of reform: The state of rule of law in Serbia in 2025 (N1)

The collapse of the canopy at the Novi Sad train station in November 2024, which claimed 16 lives, has become a stark symbol of deep-rooted weaknesses in Serbia’s legal and institutional framework, says the European Commission’s 2025 Rule of Law Report, released Tuesday in Strasbourg.

The European Commission said that the canopy collapse at Novi Sad train station prompted widespread public protests and exposed systemic failures in tackling corruption and ensuring prosecutorial accountability. Initially, more than one prosecution office launched parallel investigations, which were later transferred to the Public Prosecutor’s Office for Organized Crime, while the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) also opened its own probe into suspected embezzlement during the station’s reconstruction. The report notes that indictments were filed against 13 public officials, including the former minister of construction, who subsequently resigned from his post.

The Rule of Law Report also highlights the protests that followed - initially student and civil demonstrations that grew into nationwide protests and led to the resignation of the prime minister and the fall of the Serbian Government. Additionally, it mentions that in April 2025, the European Court of Human Rights issued an interim measure banning the use of sonic weapons for crowd control by the Serbian authorities.

The European Commission’s findings paint a grim picture of Serbia’s institutional response to the tragedy: fragmented responsibilities, prosecutors operating without coordination, and clear political interference. The Novi Sad canopy collapse, the report argues, laid bare a profound institutional crisis.

In addition to the Novi Sad disaster, the report details systemic weaknesses in the judiciary, a troubled media landscape, bias in public broadcasting favoring the ruling party, impunity for attacks on journalists, and issues in the functioning of Serbia’s Parliament, Constitutional Court, and the state’s treatment of civil society organizations.

The deportation of European Union (EU) citizens for participating in protests further tarnished Serbia’s record.

Unlike the 2024 report, which focused primarily on legislative changes and technical reforms, the 2025 report zeroes in on concrete events, including the Novi Sad tragedy, as clear evidence of systemic failures. The tone is markedly more critical, with institutions described as paralyzed and susceptible to political influence.