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UNMIK Media Observer, Morning Edition, May 28, 2025

UNMIK Media Observer, Morning Edition, May 28, 2025

 

Albanian Language Media: 

 

  • ‘Defender Europe 2025’, an important exercise for the KSF (RTK)
  • Maqedonci: Serbia with 70% of army near Kosovo (Klan)
  • Kosovo takes control of another facility in Leposavic (RFE)
  • Ziadeh reacts to inspection of sports hall in Leposavic (media)
  • New contracts and assessment tests for workers of sports hall in Leposavic (Klan)
  • Raid at Ministry of Agriculture, Minister Peci interviewed as suspect (media)
  • Abdixhiku: Stolen money will be returned cent by cent (media)
  • Kurti: Kosovo, Croatia deep ties of history, friendship, common values (media)
  • Rugova: US will intervene, compromise will be reached in one week (media)
  • Protest over decision to move businesses to open energy market (Gazeta 10)

 

Serbian Language Media:

 

  • Ziadeh: Access to sports must be protected for all communities, remaining issues should be resolved in dialogue (Kosovo Online)
  • Leposavic authorities take over the Sports hall (KoSSev)
  • Reactions of the Office for KiM and SL to the Leposavic Sports hall take over (KoSSev, Kosovo Online, KiM radio)
  • Starovic: Kurti's repressive tactics have hit rock bottom (Danas, Kosovo Online)
  • Serbian Democracy: Hetemi threatened our colleague and endangered the rights of children by taking over the hall in Leposavic
  • Sports Federation of Serbia on the police raid into the Sport Tourism Organisation in Leposavic (Kosovo Online) 
  • Miljkovic and Delevic: The prosecution had no evidence confirming the guilt of the Serbs accused of terrorism (Kosovo Online, KoSSev)
  • Deputy Ombudsman : Targeting media and journalists unacceptable, without exception (Kosovo Online)

 

 

Albanian Language Media 

 

‘Defender Europe 2025’, an important exercise for the KSF (RTK)

 

Kosovo is one of the 18 host countries of the largest military exercise led by the United States of America, in which 25 thousand soldiers from 29 NATO countries participate. All this is happening within the framework of the “Defender Europe 2025” exercise, which is being held from May 26 to June 9. In addition to Kosovo being the host, the special feature of this exercise this time is that the Command of the 28th Infantry Division of the US Army is located at the Gjakova Airport, from where all exercises in the Southeast Europe region will be conducted. The same exercise has officially started on Tuesday in the Republic of Albania.

 

This international exercise, one of the largest and most complex of the last decade in Europe and Africa, is being conducted under the leadership of the U.S. European Command, in close cooperation with NATO allies and partners. Albania, as one of the main host countries, plays a strategic role in ensuring the success of the planned operations and developments.

 

And while this exercise has begun in Albania, the exercises are already underway at the Kosovo Security Force military camp in Babaj of Boka. Since Monday, in addition to KSF troops, soldiers from the United States of America, Albania, Croatia, North Macedonia and Bulgaria have been stationed there.

 

Maqedonci: Serbia with 70% of army near Kosovo (Klan)

 

Kosovo’s caretaker Minister of Defense, Ejup Maqedonci, on Tuesday spoke of a dangerous security situation, saying that approximately 70 percent of all Serbian army capacities are located not far from Kosovo. “Somewhere 70% of all military capacities of the Serbian army are located in the south of its territory, not far from the Republic of Kosovo. And to this, adding these 48 earlier bases that we always consider to pose a threat,” he said. 

 

"When your neighbor deploys military forces on the border in some form or another, it threatens the security and stability of that country. This is not happening by chance. And when we have all this presence and we have the support of criminal and terrorist groups such as Radoicic’s, who attempted to annex the North of our country, it shows the aggressive approach that Serbia continues to have in relation to the Republic of Kosovo," he told A2 CNN.

 

Furthermore, Maqedonci said that they always see it as possible that Serbia could at some point take action to destabilize the region. "We continuously address as a concern the the presence of earlier operational bases of the Serbian army and gendarmerie along the border line with the Republic of Kosovo," he said.

 

Kosovo takes control of another facility in Leposavic (RFE)

 

Local authorities in Leposavic, with the help of Kosovo Police, have taken control of the sports hall in this city, which was operating according to the Serbian system.

 

The deputy mayor of Leposavic, Marina Bogojevic, said in a statement to Radio Free Europe that the purpose of the sports hall will not change and that everyone will be able to use it for the same purposes as before.

 

This is one of a series of actions taken to take control of facilities or to close down Serbian institutions in Kosovo cities, which Pristina considers illegal and parallel.

 

Earlier in May, local authorities in North Mitrovica also took control of the city's sports hall, after which it was announced that the hall will remain functional and that those who want to use it should contact the persons responsible for scheduling appointments.

 

Kosovo began closing Serbian institutions in early 2024. Initially, the temporary municipal bodies, the Postal Savings Bank, the Serbian Post Office, the Pension and Health Insurance Fund, social work centers, public enterprises and similar institutions were closed.

 

The latest wave of closures of institutions operating in the Serbian system, in addition to sports halls, also includes the city libraries, the city museum in North Mitrovica, the Institute for Culture, Youth, Sports and Specialized Services, and the Cultural and Artistic Society “Kosovski Bozhur”.

 

Ziadeh reacts to action at sports hall in Leposavic (media)

 

The Head of the UNMIK mission in Kosovo, Caroline Ziadeh, is closely following the latest developments in northern Kosovo, including today's actions at the municipal sports facility in Leposavic. According to her, public spaces are vital for the development of young people and the community.

 

“SRSG Ziadeh is closely following the latest developments in northern Kosovo, including today’s actions at the municipal sports facility in Leposavić/Leposaviq. Public spaces are vital for youth and community development,” the UNMIK mission said on the “X” platform.

 

Furthermore, the UNMIK mission encourages all concerned to act with restraint and engage in open and meaningful consultations with the local community, to avoid disruption of access to services and to build a climate of trust.

 

“The SRSG encourages all concerned to act with restraint and engage in meaningful consultations with the local community – to avoid disruption of access to services and to build trust,” the reaction reads.

 

New contracts and assessment tests for workers of sports hall in Leposavic (Klan)

 

The TV station reports this morning that “after the removal of the Serbian flag and the placing of Kosovo flags at the sports center in Leposavic, a new chapter has begun for this facility”. Kosovo Police, in cooperation with municipal officials, assisted on Tuesday in the full release of the facility. The TV station notes that 33 workers used to operate at the sports hall under contracts from Serbia. Leposavic Mayor Lulzim Hetemi said that in order to continue working at the sports hall the workers will have to sign new contracts with Kosovo’s institutions and take a professional test to assess their capabilities. 

 

Raid at Ministry of Agriculture, Minister Peci interviewed as suspect (media)

 

The police have carried out raids on Tuesday in four different locations in Pristina and Ferizaj regarding suspicions of misuse of the contract for the lease of the animal waste plant. After the actions, the caretaker Minister of Agriculture, Faton Peci, was interviewed by the investigation bodies. The Special Prosecution Office has said that he was interviewed as a suspect. In addition to him, the head of the Food and Veterinary Agency, Bekim Hoxha, was also interviewed.

 

Caretaker Ministers of Justice and Foreign Affairs, respectively Albulena Haxhiu and Donika Gervalla, have reacted to the interviewing of Peci.

 

"I am very convinced that Minister Peci has done an extraordinary job during the time he has been and continues to be in the Ministry of Agriculture. There is nothing to hide here, there has been no interference from Minister Peci. We had the opportunity to discuss this issue a few days ago and today, he is very open to cooperating with the institutions to uncover this entire plan to harm Minister Peci and the Kurti government," Haxhiu wrote.

 

Donika Gervalla called the action "persecution by the justice authorities against the most exemplary minister." "This is a shameful act by Blerim Isufaj against Minister Faton Peci, the most exemplary minister of this mandate," she wrote on Facebook.

 

Minister Peci was accused a day earlier of violating the Law on Public Property, since, without a public auction, he leased public property for 20 years to a company for an animal waste factory. According to the contract, the winning company will be subsidized for every kilogram of animal waste it treats.

 

Abdixhiku: Stolen money will be returned cent by cent (media)

 

Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) leader Lumir Abdixhiku reacted on Tuesday to reports that the caretaker Minister of Agriculture, Faton Peci, was interviewed by the Special Prosecution. "In Kosovo too, as in every other country in Europe, one day a prosecutor or two will emerge, young boys and girls, who have the courage and integrity to deal with every corrupt act; every thief. Even that of those in power. Especially that of those in power," he wrote in a Facebook post.

 

Abdixhiku stressed that the day when these people act with integrity will be a day of pride for everyone, while the calls of politicians who defend corruption only because "the thief is theirs" will no longer have any value. "Let us hope and believe that after so many years of waiting, such courage has already been born. And with it, a new era of our people has been born. In this era, an inevitable truth will always remain - that the money stolen by those who see themselves above the state, law and country, will be returned cent by cent. By everyone!" he said.

 

Kurti: Kosovo, Croatia deep ties of history, friendship and common values (media)

 

Kosovo’s caretaker Prime Minister Albin Kurti participated in the event organized by the Embassy of Croatia in Kosovo, on the National Day of the Republic of Croatia. In his speech, Kurti mentioned the Croatian community in Kosovo and the Albanian diaspora in Croatia, which he said both serve as bridges of mutual respect and cooperation.

 

“Kosovo and Croatia share deep ties – of history, friendship and common values. Croatia was among the first countries to recognize Kosovo’s independence. Your support – political and practical morale has been unwavering since then. For this, we are deeply grateful,” Kurti was quoted as saying, according to the OPM.

 

He expressed his congratulations to President Zoran Milanovic, Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic and all Croatian citizens. Finally, Kurti emphasized that Kosovo and Croatia together can contribute to a free, democratic region firmly anchored in Euro-Atlantic values, adding that “we will continue to deepen our bilateral ties in trade, education, culture and defense.”

 

Rugova: US will intervene, compromise will be reached in one week (media)

 

Naser Rugova from the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) told TeVe1 on Tuesday that the United States will soon intervene to break the political deadlock and that political leaders in Kosovo will have to find a compromise solution in a week. “The US has not spoken yet and I believe it will do so soon, and these [Kosovo] leaders and MPs will have to reflect … The US will deal seriously with this issue and there will be a compromise solution. No leader can say no to the new US administration … These political leaders will find a compromise solution because so far they lacked the courage, wisdom, political vision and love for the country, and now they will do it under pressure,” he argued.

 

Protest over decision to move businesses to open energy market (Gazeta 10)

 

The business community in Kosovo will protest in Pristina on Thursday against the decision of the Energy Regulator Office (ERO) to move businesses to the open energy market. The Chamber of Commerce said the protest will last for two hours and that “if the institutions do not reflect and take concrete steps to address the requests of businesses, the protests will continue”.

 

The Chamber of Commerce, on behalf of the business community, called on the institutions to reflect with urgency and enable a provisional phase during which the businesses would gradually prepare toward a sustainable and fair integration in the open energy market. 

 

Serbian Language Media

 

Ziadeh: Access to sports must be protected for all communities, remaining issues should be resolved in dialogue (Kosovo Online)

The Special Representative of the Secretary General and Head of UNMIK, Caroline Ziadeh, is carefully following the events in the north of Kosovo, including the actions in the municipal sports facility in Leposavic, announced UNMIK in a post on X, reported Kosovo Online. 

"Public spaces are vital for youth and community development. Access to sports is intrinsically linked to human rights, including education, and must be safeguarded for all communities," said Ziadeh on X. 

She urged all concerned to act with restraint and engage in meaningful consultation with the local community - to avoid disrupting access to services and build trust.

Ziadeh repeated the call for all remaining issues to be resolved through dialogue.

Leposavic authorities take over the Sports hall (KoSSev)

KoSSev portal reported yesterday among other things that the operation was conducted with the assistance of Kosovo Police, which confirmed their involvement for the portal. 

“We only provided support to the municipal leadership in assuming control of the municipal sports hall in Leposavic,“ said Veton Elshani, Deputy Commander of the Kosovo Police for the North Region. He noted that the takeover occurred approximately one hour before his statement but could not confirm whether the locks on the building had been changed.

Leposavic Deputy Mayor Marina Bogojevic stated that the municipality had assumed only administrative control over the facility, not the building itself. She said that all existing usage arrangements would remain in place, including staff and scheduling for schools and clubs.

“The workers stay, the time slots for students and coaches stay – everything remains the same, except the management, which now belongs to the municipality,“ Bogojevic told KoSSev. She identified the previous operator as the Sports and Tourism Organization of Leposavic, functioning under the Serbian system.

According to KoSSev, Bogojevic did not respond to follow-up questions after the call was interrupted.

The current director of the hall, Marko Radosavljevic, told KoSSev that municipal representatives informed him that from now on, employees must operate within Kosovo’s institutional framework in order to continue working. He also reported that new locks were being installed and that Kosovo authorities had introduced new security personnel at the facility.

“Although they said we could come to work freely, they’re changing the locks as we speak, and I highly doubt they’ll give us the keys. They’ve brought in their own guards,“ Radosavljevic said. According to him, all Serbian flags were removed from the premises, replaced with Kosovo flags, and a sign reading “Republic of Kosovo” was installed.

According to available records, at least 74 institutions affiliated with Serbia have ceased functioning in majority-Serb areas of Kosovo since 2012, reported the portal, recalling that in a parallel move, KP started issuing verbal warnings at border crossings, stating that Serbian-issued ID cards for Kosovo cities will soon be invalid.

At the time of the article's publication, Kosovo authorities did not issue a public statement on the event.

KoSSev contacted the mayor for comment, but no response was received by the time of the publication.

Reactions of the Office for KiM and SL to the Leposavic Sports hall take over (KoSSev, Kosovo Online, KiM radio)

The Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija Petar Petkovic said that yesterday’s invasion of the KP on the order of the "fake mayor of Leposavic Lulzim Hetemi" into the sports hall and premises of STO Leposavic, represented an illegal robbery that was taking place in front of the eyes of the entire international community. He said that Hetemi, accompanied by the KP, broke into the premises of the sports hall in Leposavic yesterday, where the Sports and Tourism Organization (STO) Leposavic was located.

"This facility, which was built exclusively with the funds of the Government of the Republic of Serbia, was used by hundreds of children for school sports and extracurricular activities, numerous recreationists, all the numerous sports clubs from this municipality, as well as the Faculty of Physical Education, it also held exams and part of the lectures in the field of physical education, and the hall had a multi-purpose significance for this municipality," said Petkovic.

He adds that by seizure of this hall, “Kurti's henchman, for whom no Serb in Leposavic voted, robbed property to which he has no right or legal basis to enter the possession, but it is a matter of bare force and illegal extortion in front of the eyes of the entire international community”.

Petkovic said, among other things, that “Kurti is making a new escalating move with the aim of destabilizing the situation on the field and continues to directly attack Serbian children and youth, who he left without a facility where they could perform numerous sports activities and have their own corner for proper development, socialization and playing sports," he adds.

The Serbian List said that ''the invasion and violent occupation of the Sports Hall in Leposavic by the KP, and with the support of some Serbs who serve the interests of Albin Kurti, who willingly renounced the Serbian name, honor and interests of their people'', which represents the continuation of the persecution of Serbs and everything Serbian in the north of Kosovo.

"Such behavior not only endangers the regular running of sports competitions, but also classes for students of the Faculty of Physical Education, who use the Hall as part of their academic duties. It is particularly shameful and undignified that individual of Serbian origin who, despite the will of their people, serve the regime of Albin Kurti, are complicit in the project whose aim is to destroy everything Serbian in the territory of KiM, are participating in this extortion," the SL pointed out. 

The Serbian List calls on international representatives to ''react and protect the basic human rights of the Serbian people in Kosovo. However, they said, they do not expect concrete action, adding that it was increasingly obvious that some of them provide tacit and even open support to Albin Kurti in his persecution of Serbs''.

Starovic: Kurti's repressive tactics have hit rock bottom (Danas, Kosovo Online)

Serbia’s Minister for European Integration, Nemanja Starovic, condemned the raid by KP on the premises of the Sports and Tourism Organization in Leposavic, describing it as part of Albin Kurti’s tactics, which, he stated, have now hit rock bottom—this time targeting Serbian youth in the north.

“Kosovo* Police stormed a Leposavic sports hub, seizing it from local Serbs. Kurti’s heavy-handed tactics hit rock bottom, targeting vulnerable Serbian youth in the North. Could armed cops raiding sports venues fly anywhere else in today’s Europe?” wrote Starovic on X. 

Serbian Democracy: Hetemi threatened our colleague and endangered the rights of children by taking over the hall in Leposavic (KoSSev, Danas)

"Serbian democracy strongly condemns the occupation of the Sports hall in Leposavic by the illegitimate administration in this municipality. This act violates the right of our children to access sports facilities, exercise, recreation, and professional sports," the party said.

In addition to the condemnation, they claim that the current mayor of the municipality of Leposavic, Lulzim Hetemi, yesterday threatened their party colleague, the president of the Municipal Committee for Leposavic, Vladimir Radosavljevic. According to this party, they cite as a cause, "peaceful protest with a whistle" in front of the sports hall during the takeover of the building.

"Namely, Vladimir Radosavljevic and his fellow party member Aleksandar Lazovic peacefully protested with whistles due to the occupation of the sports hall in Leposavic. At one point, the illegitimate mayor Lulzim Hetemi said to Radosavljevic the words: 'You will remember me, you are the coffee guy,' alluding to the fact that Radosavljevic used to run a cafe in the center of Leposavic," stated the SD, considering this as a "direct threat". 

Radosavljevic and Lazovic filed a report with the police, demanding at the same time a reaction from the Prosecutor's Office: 

"And we ask the international institutions, organizations and embassies to take the necessary measures regarding the occupation of the sports hall and other institutions of the Republic of Serbia in Kosovo," they concluded.

KoSSev asked Mayor Hetemi for a comment on these claims, however no answer was received by the time of the publication.

Sports Federation of Serbia on the police raid into the Sport Tourism Organisation in Leposavic (Kosovo Online) 

The Sports Federation of Serbia, headed by President Davor Stefanek and General Secretary Goran Marinkovic, strongly condemned, as they stated, "thug actions that directly threaten the rights of children" and prevents the work of members of that Federation, territorial sports federations in Kosovo, reported Kosovo Online.

"For years, the population in the southern Serbian province has suffered the terror of the so-called Kosovo authorities by which they have been provoked and deprived of basic human rights. Today, another such inadmissible move was made, instructed by Albin Kurti and his fake mayor Lulzim Hetimi, accompanied by the so-called Kosovo police. The premises of the sports hall in Leposavic, where the Sports and Tourism Organization is located, were hijacked. Such raids and seizure of sports facilities built exclusively from Serbia's budget funds are to be condemned in the strongest terms. Now hundreds of Serbian children are prohibited from having access to a place where they could engage in physical activity, develop properly, socialize and educate themselves," the statement said.

The incursion of the KP into the premises of the STO in Leposavic was condemned by the State Secretary in the Ministry of Sports of Serbia and basketball player Marko Keselj.

Miljkovic and Delevic: The prosecution had no evidence confirming the guilt of the Serbs accused of terrorism (Kosovo Online, KoSSev)

The defense attorneys of the four Serbs indicted by the Special Prosecutor’s Office for committing a terrorist act, Milos Delevic and Predrag Miljkovic, stated after yesterday’s hearing that the prosecution had no evidence that any of the defendants engaged in any incriminating actions, which was why they hope for an acquittal. Closing arguments are scheduled for July 2.

The trial of Milun Milenkovic, Dejan Pantic, Aleksandar Vlajic, and Miomir Vakic continued yesterday before the Special Department of the Basic Court in Pristina. While Milenkovic, Pantic, and Vakic chose to remain silent—claiming they had already provided detailed statements to the police—Aleksandar Vlajic gave his defense and answered questions from the attorneys, the prosecutor, and the court panel.

His attorney, Milos Delevic, emphasized that Vlajic addressed two points from the indictment: being seen at the scene and speaking on the phone.

“He explained to the court today that he lives near the premises of the Municipal Election Commission (MEC), that he was returning from town that day and was walking along that street as he does every other day, past the Commission’s premises. He also explained that he called his wife out of concern for her safety due to the sirens, crowd, and explosions that occurred that day,” said Delevic. 

He stressed that the prosecution has no evidence that Vlajic called the other defendant, Milun Milenkovic, and that this is merely a baseless assumption.

Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/3ueds3b8

Deputy Ombudsman : Targeting media and journalists unacceptable, without exception (Kosovo Online)

The Deputy Ombudsman of Kosovo, Srdjan Sentic, responded to the targeting of the Kosovo Online editorial team by analyst Drizan Shala, who labeled the portal on the social network Facebook as a “proxy structure” and an “extended arm of Belgrade.”

Sentic stated that targeting media and journalists—regardless of the source—is unacceptable in a democratic society, emphasizing that such practices directly threaten freedom of expression and the public’s right to be informed.

“Targeting media and journalists is intolerable, without exception. Whether it comes from individuals or organized groups, no attack that incites hate speech or criminalizes the work of journalists should be tolerated,” said Sentic.

He stressed that such actions are not only a threat to the safety and integrity of journalists but also to the fundamental rights of all citizens.

“The role of the media in society is to report, critically assess events, and convey information of public importance. When newsrooms are labeled as ‘enemies’ simply for reporting someone’s statement, it represents a serious blow to freedom of expression and the very foundation of democratic order,” Sentic warned.