Albanian Language Media:

• New EC President expected to meet Balkan leaders next week (RFE)
• EU does not confirm Kosovo-Serbia meeting on December 17 (Klan)
• Ziadeh supports “16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence ” campaign (Kosovapress)
• Former KLA leaders demand action to guarantee impartiality of Special Chamber trial panel (media)
• EU awaits agreement of parties to implement declaration on missing persons (RTK)
• Konjufca hosts Croatian Commissioner for Personal Data Protection (Blic)
• KFOR patrols the mountains of Zubin Potok (Blic)
• MFA requests clarification on arrest of two young Kosovars in Serbia  (Sinjali)
• Kearns to Vucic: Denial, a deliberate and calculated attack on survivors (Koha)

Serbian Language Media:

• Young men arrested in Decani given one-month detention (Kosovo Online, KoSSev, KiM radio)
• Filipovic: Excessive punishment for three young men (Kosovo Online, KoSSev) 
• Condemnations from Montenegro due to the detention of three people from Niksic in Kosovo (KoSSev)
• The witness in the Trajkovic case told lawyer Vasic in the courtroom: ''If I knew you, I would have reported you, too'' (KoSSev)
• Serbian MIA arrested two people in Prokuplje last week, Kosovo MFA looking for official information (KoSSev)

Albanian Language Media 

New EC President expected to meet Balkan leaders next week (RFE)

The new President of the European Council, Antonio Costa, is expected to gather the leaders of the six Western Balkan countries next week, a few days after taking office. Radio Free Europe reported, citing diplomatic sources, that he will organize this meeting on Tuesday, December 3rd in Brussels. According to diplomatic sources in Brussels, Costa wants to send a signal with this meeting that he will consider the Western Balkans region as a priority in his work and that he wants to have regular reports with the leaders of the region.

This meeting will also be an opportunity for him to get to know the leaders of the countries of the region personally, but also to discuss the preparation of a special EU-Western Balkans summit, which will be held on 18 December in Brussels. It has been unofficially announced that the future EU High Representative, Kaja Kallas, and the Commissioner for Enlargement, Marta Kos, could also be at the dinner on 3 December.

EU does not confirm Kosovo-Serbia meeting on December 17 (Klan)

According to Klisman Kadiu, advisor to Deputy Prime Minister Besnik Bislimi, who is also Kosovo's chief negotiator, the dialogue process in Brussels between the chief negotiators is expected to continue next month. Kadiu said that the next meeting will take place on December 17 in Brussels.

However, this was not confirmed by the EU. "We will announce each meeting whenever necessary," an EU spokesperson told the news website.

A day earlier, the European Union's envoy for the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, Miroslav Lajcak, had announced that the next meeting at the level of chief negotiators would be held in December.

Ziadeh supports “16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence ” campaign (Kosovapress)

The Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), Caroline Ziadeh, through a video message, has supported the “16 Days of Activism to End Violence against Women and Girls” campaign.

A post on X states that nearly 89,000 women and girls were killed in 2022, the highest number recorded in 20 years. "60% of all women are murdered by partners or family. No justification," the post reads.

Former KLA leaders demand action to guarantee impartiality of Special Chamber trial panel (media)

Former KLA leaders, through a letter addressed to the Special Chamber trial panel on November 13, have requested for measures to be taken to ensure that each of its members acts impartially. Former leaders of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) have requested that the Special Court trial panel maintain impartiality and not side with the Prosecution.

In a letter published by the Kosovo Specialist Chambers, it is stated that they have assessed that the rights of the accused have been violated. “The unrestricted judicial questioning of witnesses, during these proceedings and particularly during the witness block on 21 October 2024 – 7 November 2024, is jeopardizing the appearance of impartiality in these proceedings and is causing identifiable prejudice to the defense,” the published document states.

Another request has been to limit prejudice to the defense during judicial questioning. “The judicial questioning is advancing the Prosecution’s case or a similar judicial case, taking on the role that would normally be played by the Prosecution’s re-examination and failing to clarify or explore any exculpatory information”. The document adds that the four defendants have requested that measures be taken.

EU awaits agreement of parties to implement declaration on missing persons (RTK)

The declaration on missing persons, signed more than a year ago in Brussels, between Kosovo and Serbia, has not been implemented and as of May 2, 2023, its implementation has remained only on paper, informs the national broadcaster, blaming Serbia for the lack of its implementation.

The EU Spokesperson Peter Stano  noted in a written response that “the implementation of the Joint Declaration has not yet started. This will happen as soon as the parties agree on the Terms of Reference of the Joint Commission, which is expected to monitor the implementation of the Joint Declaration, in support of the work of the Working Group, chaired by the International Committee of the Red Cross…”, he said.

Stano indicated that this issue was addressed during the meeting of the chief negotiators on 24 October, while denying that UNMIK would represent Kosovo in the Joint Commission, saying that this was neither proposed nor discussed. He further said that the EU reiterates that this is ultimately about the families of those who are still missing, and that this issue should not be politicized.

Konjufca hosts Croatian Commissioner for Personal Data Protection (Blic)

Kosovo’s Speaker of the Assembly, Glauk Konjufca, accompanied by the Commissioner of the Information and Privacy Agency, Krenare Sogojeva Dermaku, hosted on Tuesday the Croatian Commissioner for Personal Data Protection, who is also the Vice-President of the European Data Protection Board (EDPB), Zdravko Vukic, accompanied by his associates and the Deputy Ambassador of Croatia to Kosovo, Mr. Nedjeljko Spilek. During this meeting, the increase in cooperation between Kosovo and Croatia in the field of personal data protection was discussed.

Konjufca thanked Mr. Vukic for his support and commitment towards this cooperation, but also for his contribution to the membership with observer status of the Kosovo Information and Privacy Agency in the independent European Union data protection body (EDPB).

KFOR patrols the mountains of Zubin Potok (Blic)

Latvian soldiers, assigned to the NATO-led KFOR Regional Command East, have conducted routine patrols in Zubin Potok. This was announced by KFOR through a Facebook post.

“These efforts are part of KFOR's daily mission to guarantee a safe and secure environment for all communities living in Kosovo. KFOR continues to implement its mandate - based on UN Security Council Resolution 1244 of 1999 - to contribute to a safe and secure environment for all people and communities living in Kosovo and freedom of movement, at all times and impartially. KFOR works in close coordination with the Kosovo Police and EULEX (the European Union Mission on Rule of Law in Kosovo) in their respective roles as security responders”, the announcement reads.

MFA requests clarification on arrest of two young Kosovars in Serbia  (Sinjali)

Kosovo’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced that it has requested relevant details from the government of Serbia, including the identity of the arrested persons and where they are being held. "Regarding this case, the Liaison Office of the Republic of Kosovo in Serbia has already sent the Government of Serbia, through the Liaison Office of Serbia in Kosovo, a formal request to confirm the case, as well as to provide other relevant details, including the identity of the arrested persons and the location where they are being held," the MFA said.

The Ministry said that they have also notified the Delegation of the European Union to Serbia and the diplomatic missions of the Quint countries accredited in Belgrade.

Kearns to Vucic: Denial, a deliberate and calculated attack on survivors (Koha)

British MP Alicia Kearns has reacted to Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic about his statements made in an interview with BBC’s “HardTalk”. Kearns said that Vucic is denying Serbia’s war in the Balkans and that this denial is a deliberate and calculated attack on survivors.

“Denial is a deliberate and calculated attack on survivors. It is a weapon that seeks to hurt people and institutions that have emerged from the ashes of war”, wrote Kearns on the “X” platform, while sharing part of Vucic’s interview. She further said that the denial of crimes is shown through the falsification of history. “Denial is a continuation of the crimes themselves – what starts with violence and murder continues through the falsification of history”, she wrote.

Serbian Language Media 

Young men arrested in Decani given one-month detention (Kosovo Online, KoSSev, KiM radio)

The three young men arrested on Sunday near the Visoki Decani Monastery for displaying the phrase "Kosovo is Serbia" on their license plates have been ordered by the Basic Court in Pec, Decani branch, to be held in detention for one month, as reported by a Kosovo Online correspondent.

The three men from Niksic – Rajko Krivokapic (34), Marinko Jovanovic (24), and Dragutin Lalatovic (24) – were detained on Sunday after the celebration of the patron saint day at the Visoki Decani Monastery.

Filipovic: Excessive punishment for three young men (Kosovo Online) 

After three young men were arrested near the Visoki Decani Monastery on Sunday for having the slogan "Kosovo is Serbia" on their license plates and subsequently given a one-month detention by the court, the attorney of one of them, Jovana Filipovic, stated that the decision was overly harsh. She emphasized that anyone identifying as a non-Albanian in Kosovo is automatically subjected to detention. She announced that the defense team would appeal the decision.

Filipovic, who represents Dragutin Lalatovic, pointed out that the young men were accused of the criminal offense of inciting discord and intolerance due to the "Kosovo is Serbia" inscription on their license plates.

She reiterated that the young men had covered the inscription with a sticker, but someone removed it.

"Unfortunately, today we witnessed yet another case against Serbs for the criminal offense of inciting discord and intolerance. This is just one in a series of cases where detention measures are imposed excessively and broadly, effectively ensuring that any non-Albanian individual is automatically detained," Filipovic told reporters after the hearing and the announcement of the detention decision.

Read more at:https://tinyurl.com/388ehp94

Condemnations from Montenegro due to the detention of three people from Niksic in Kosovo (KoSSev)

Following the news that three young men from Niksic were sentenced to one-month detention, due to the inscription on the registration plates "Kosovo is Serbia", the first reactions were  coming from Montenegro. 

''I condemn the actions of the authorities in the territory of Kosovo and Metohija, who ordered the detention of three young men from Niksic who were at the Visoki Decani monastery on Sunday,'' said the president of the Niksic municipality, Marko Kovacevic. In a FB post, he wrote that the arrest of his fellow citizens represents the use of force, which "cannot be good from any side", adding "I don't think that this behavior of the local authorities contributes to peace and stability in the Balkans". 

"We have been following this problem from the beginning, and we did not announce it earlier so as not to put our fellow citizens in an even more difficult position in front of the local authorities. However, we did not expect that on a significant day for the Serbian community, not only in Kosmet, but also as a whole, those who visit the Serbian shrines would be treated like this, and especially not that it would result in a month's detention". He told the three young men to "endure" and that the municipality of Niksic would help them.

Vladimir Dobricanin, deputy of the United Montenegro, also reacted, characterizing the whole case as "Kurti's terror", in an attempt to "dissuade Serbs from visiting their holy places". He directed criticism at, as he stated, the lack of reaction of Montenegrin officials regarding the arrest and detention of Montenegrin citizens. "Just because they had a sticker on their car that said Kosovo is Serbia!" "It is inadmissible to remain silent on this," states this deputy, adding, among other things, that "brothers from Niksic" went on a pilgrimage. He wrote more harsh words in his post. 

The reaction also came from the councilor in the Niksic Municipality Assembly, Aleksa Kankaras, who believes that this act, which he considers to be a serious violation of human rights, must be condemned urgently. "This shameful move of arrest and detention represents a serious violation of human rights, which is unacceptable in the modern social community," Kankaras said in a statement delivered to KoSSev. This local councilor said that "Kosovo and Metohija are an integral part of Serbia, and we believe that a solution and peace can only be reached through dialogue, while attacks, arrests and the use of force sink ever deeper into a gap that will be unbridgeable ". He asked the competent institutions to react and "bring the three people from Niksic out of prison".

The witness in the Trajkovic case told lawyer Vasic in the courtroom: ''If I knew you, I would have reported you, too'' (KoSSev)

After the hearing in the case of Sladjan Trajkovic yesterday, accused of alleged war crimes against the civilian population, his defense attorneys Dejan Vasic and Jelena Krivokapic addressed the journalists and emphasized that they are in a difficult and unequal position when it comes to this case, reported KoSSev, citing KiM radio. 

Vasic said that the court was on the side of the prosecution in this case from the very beginning.

"In this case, we are in a very difficult and unequal position compared to the prosecutor. He has five statements that the witness gave earlier, while we do not. We have no chance to check the credibility of this witness if we don't have those statements. The court has been on the side of the prosecution from the beginning and in a way, it seems to me that both Sladjan and I feel like saying convict us together, me, Sladjan, Jelena and all these people. If the trial is conducted in this way and if we have to defend ourselves against those attacks by the prosecution and the witnesses, it makes no sense. Together, let them convict us, go to Podujevo together, so that we don't suffer anymore," he said.

During the hearing, the witness stated that in March 1999, while accompanying a friend who wanted to visit his house, he noticed that "Sladjan took part in beating the old man, hitting him with a rifle butt and sticks." According to witnesses, that old man died. However, Vasic emphasized that this case is from before, and that another man was accused of that incident.

At the end of the trial, the witness approached the accused Sladjan Trajkovic and the lawyer Dejan Vasic and on that occasion addressed the defense attorney with the words: "If I knew you, I would have reported you, too," KiM radio reported among other things.

After questioning the witness S.M. by the prosecutor Flurija Shamoli, the defense of the accused Sladjan Trajkovic requested the postponement of his testimony due to the lack of more of his statements given to the police, the prosecution, Eulex, KiM radio reported.

Serbian MIA arrested two people in Prokuplje last week, Kosovo MFA looking for official information (KoSSev)

Two people from Podujevo were arrested at the end of last week in the territory of central Serbia on charges of aggravated theft. The Ministry of Interior of Serbia reported about this on November 21. The Pristina media reported on the arrest of the Albanians from Podujevo yesterday, citing that Pristina requested confirmation and more information about the case from the official Belgrade.

The Serbian MIA announced last Thursday that their members arrested R.H. (1995) and G.A. (2003) from Podujevo in Prokuplje. They are suspected of stealing a trimmer, a generator for electricity production, a solar reflector, an electric circular, saws, and tools from a house in the vicinity of Kursumlija, which they previously broke into, and hid stolen items in a nearby forest. "Then they returned to the house, where the police found them. All the stolen items were found and returned to the owner," the MIA stated. Suspects are charged with aggravated theft, and that R.H. and G.A. have been detained for up to 48 hours. It was stated that they will be brought to the competent prosecutor's office with a criminal complaint. So far, there was no official information about what happened after the 48 hours, reported KoSSev.

Several media in Pristina, including Klan Kosova, yesterday reported that two young people from Podujevo were arrested last week in central Serbia, but during forest cutting. Infokus presented the names of those arrested, which match the initials announced by the Serbian MIA. 

The media in Pristina also reported that the Kosovo authorities, i.e., the Liaison Office in Belgrade, have already sent a formal request to the Government of Serbia to confirm the case.

"All relevant details have been requested, including the identity of the arrested persons, as well as the location where they are currently located," Leutrim Sahiti, adviser to the Kosovo Minister of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, told Kallxo, adding that the Delegation of the European Union in Serbia, as well as the diplomatic missions of the Quint countries accredited in Belgrade, were informed about the case.

"The moment the confirmation arrives, the diplomats of the Liaison Office of the Republic of Kosovo in Serbia will submit an official request for a visit to the detention center where they are located," said the Kosovo MIA, reported KoSSev, citing Klan Kosova.