• COVID – 19: 539 new cases, 11 deaths (media) • Hoti: Excavation in Kizevak to continue (media) • Following Podujevo elections, bigger ruling coalition or new elections (Telegrafi) • KFOR ready to intervene if Kosovo security threatened (Koha) • Decision published confirming Thaci, Veseli, Selimi, Krasniqi indictment (media) • EU-Kosovo Stabilisation Association Council holds video conference (media) • Limaj: Freedom spokesman in jail, Milosevic’s spokesperson a President (RTK) • Isufi: Either Ramush for President or we go to new elections (media)

COVID – 19: 539 new cases, 11 deaths (media)

Kosovo’s health authorities have recorded 539 new cases of COVID – 19 and 11 deaths from the virus in the last 24 hours. 574 patients have recovered from the virus during this time. There are 14,699 active cases of coronavirus in Kosovo.

Hoti: Excavation in Kizevak to continue (media)

Prime Minister of Kosovo Avdullah Hoti announced that following excavations in the mass grave in Kizevak of Serbia, representatives of the working group for missing persons visited the site.

Hoti said the excavation will continue over the coming days. "Forensic experts of the Republic of Kosovo, on behalf of the Kosovo delegation, will continue to be present until the process is concluded, in line with the practices between the two delegations," Hoti wrote on Facebook.

Following Podujevo elections, bigger ruling coalition or new elections (Telegrafi)

The news website reported on Monday that following the defeat of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) in the municipal elections in Podujevo, there is growing skepticism that the LDK-led central government will be able to serve out its four-year mandate. A new agreement to reshuffle the government or early parliamentary elections are seen as realistic options.

Political commentators in Prishtina argue that Vetevendosje’s victory in LDK’s former stronghold of Podujevo came from a vote of protest against the 20-year bad governance by the LDK. “Now that the LDK has lost its biggest stronghold and is failing to reach the required number of votes in the Assembly, elections seem inevitable,” a commentator said.

KFOR ready to intervene if Kosovo security threatened (Koha)

New KFOR commander, Franco Federici, in an online conference with reporters on Monday, commented on the situation in Kosovo after the confirmed indictments by the Specialist Chambers in The Hague.

“We have no indications that the situation may change. We are confident that everyone will act in moderate fashion. Allow me to say that KFOR is not involved with the Specialist Chambers. This issue is completely outside our mandate. KFOR does not investigate. However, we are following the situation and we are alert. We are ready to intervene if there are tensions and protests after the confirmed indictments,” Federici said.

The COMKFOR said they are not concerned with Serbia’s armament or statements by officials in Belgrade about a possible conflict if a political settlement is not found. He said they have not noticed any threats against order in the mainly Serb-inhabited north.

Asked about the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, Federici said: “As the Secretary General has said, NATO supports the dialogue. We welcome every step that strengthens the coexistence between the communities, and we will play our role as facilitator”.

Federici also said that KFOR continues to cooperate with the Kosovo Security Force according to their mandate.

Decision published confirming Thaci, Veseli, Selimi, Krasniqi indictment (media)

A pre-trial judge of the Kosovo Specialist Chambers has made public the decision confirming the indictment against Hashim Thaci, Kadri Veseli, Rexhep Selimi, and Jakup Krasniqi.

Koha reports that the charges in the indictment include murder, torture alleged to have taken place in several locations including Likoc, Jabllanice, Llapushnik, Volljake, Drenoc, Malisheve, Zllash and also mentions specific dates as to when these crimes are alleged to have been committed.

In this respect, Koha refers to item 371 of the indictment which notes that on 25 or 26 July 1998, the day of a Serb offensive against the village of Llapushnik, KLA members took approximately 30 detainees from the prison compound there and released 20 of them in the nearby forest and shot the remaining 10. "The bodies of the executed detainees were left at the execution site," the indictment says.

See more at: https://bit.ly/3mprYo1

EU-Kosovo Stabilisation Association Council holds video conference (media)

Media report that an informal video conference meeting took place yesterday between the members of the EU-Kosovo Stabilisation and Association Council to review Kosovo's progress in its European integration path following the publication of the European Commission report for 2020.

"Participants welcomed Kosovo’s continued strategic commitment to its European path and to the EU-facilitated Dialogue with Serbia. They agreed on the urgent need to accelerate reform processes, including through the second phase of the European Reform Agenda, requiring increased focus by all political actors and an effective coordination structure within the Kosovo institutions," a joint statement issued after the meeting states.

The participants also reiterated the importance of visa liberalisation for the citizens of Kosovo: "The decision on the proposal remains under consideration in the Council."

The participants further discussed developments regarding the Specialist Chambers and hailed the cooperation of Kosovo authorities. On the dialogue with Serbia, the participants welcomed its resumption and underlined the importance of continuous engagement in good faith that would lead to a comprehensive and legally binding agreement for normalisation of relations. "This is s crucial so that Kosovo and Serbia can advance on their respective European paths. Participants agreed that all past agreements need to be respected and implemented." they concluded.

Limaj: Freedom spokesman in jail, Milosevic’s spokesperson a President (RTK)

Fatmir Limaj, one of the commanders of the former Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) and leader of NISMA political party, said in an interview with RTK on Monday that it is unacceptable that KLA leaders are facing trials only because they were freedom fighters while the spokespersons of Slobodan Milosevic are in power in Serbia.

“Think about, today the spokesman of the KLA, Jakup Krasniqi, is in trial, whereas Milosevic’s spokesman, Ivica Dacic, is President of the Parliament of Serbia. Dacic and Vucic were spokespersons for Milosevic, they were spokespersons of crime and genocide. On the other hand, the spokesperson of our freedom is in prison,” Limaj said.

Limaj also said that Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic took part in the Serbian siege of Sarajevo in 1996. “Vucic was a spokesperson of the RTS, a spokesperson of crime and genocide. NATO bombed the RTS, and Vucic was its head and spokesperson. NATO bombed it because it was a chain in the Serbian crime,” he added.

Isufi: Either Ramush for President or we go to new elections (media)

Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) deputy leader Ahmet Isufi said on Monday that their MPs will not vote for any other candidate for Kosovo President except for party leader Ramush Haradinaj. He also said that if there is no agreement on Haradinaj’s candidacy for the post of President, Kosovo will have to go to new parliamentary elections.

Indeksonline reports that leaders of political parties are expected to meet next week as part of efforts to resolve the institutional stalemate created by the resignation of former President Hashim Thaci.