• Kosovo police arrest three men for beating journalist (Reuters)
• Svecla: Three suspects arrested for attacking reporter (media)
• UNMIK chief condemns assault on journalist (media)
• EULEX: Security situation in north of Kosovo remains fragile (Reporteri)
• Haxhiu: CEC, security institutions to assess security situation in north (Koha)
• UNMIK chief condemns shooting in northern Kosovo (media)
• Pineles: KLA is being tried in the Hague (teve1)
• Gutierrez: Sustainable funding ensures independence of RTK (RTK)
• Professor suspended over accusations of threatening, abusing, students (BIRN)
• ‘Tech for Good’ in Kosovo: Women entrepreneurs lead the way (BIRN)
• Kharchenko: We’ll try to treat Association at UN Security Council (Klan)

Kosovo police arrest three men for beating journalist (Reuters)

Kosovo police said on Wednesday they had arrested three men accused of beating a prominent journalist a night earlier after he left the studio where he had participated in a talk show.

Valon Syla said he was attacked after making comments about a local imam who had received a Mercedes car as a present for his retirement from his worshippers.

"The attack was probably related to my comments about the 'Mercedes Imam' ... which prompted this community of Islamic militants to organise a premeditated attack," Syla said, adding that he had been followed by the assailants in their car until he was attacked at the entrance of a cafe bar.

In a statement, police said the case was being handled by the anti-terrorism unit and the men, identified only by their initials, were facing criminal offences of "inciting discord and intolerance."

Local media showed Syla bleeding after injuries sustained on his head and left hand but he was released from hospital after getting treatment.

Kosovo is more than 90-percent Muslim majority but secular.

Syla, who also runs news portal Gazeta Metro, is known for his sarcastic criticism against the government, religion and social issues in his social accounts and talk shows.

Svecla: Three suspects arrested for attacking reporter (media)

Kosovo’s Minister of Interior Affairs, Xhelal Svecla, confirmed on Wednesday that three persons were arrested as suspects for the attack against reporter Valon Syla. “Following an intensive work of Kosovo Police, three persons that attacked journalist Valon Syla have been arrested. I commend Kosovo Police for the commitment to and professionalism for providing safety and rule of law for all,” Svecla said on Facebook. Kosovo’s Special Prosecution too issued a statement announcing the arrests. The prosecution’s statement includes the initials of the suspects and some news websites have published their full names.

UNMIK chief condemns assault on journalist (media)

Several news websites reported on Wednesday that UNMIK chief Caroline Ziadeh condemned the assault against reporter Valon Syla. “Any attack on journalistic freedom is unacceptable. SRSG Ziadeh looks forward to a full and fair investigation to bring perpetrators to justice and ensure Human Rights are protected. The attack took place just one week after the visit of the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Opinion and Expression, Irene Khan who urged Kosovo authorities to prioritise investigations and prosecutions of attacks against journalists. SRSG Ziadeh wishes the injured journalist a quick recovery,” the reaction notes.

EULEX: Security situation in north of Kosovo remains fragile (Reporteri)

The EU Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX) told the news website on Wednesday that the security situation in the north of Kosovo remains fragile due to the security and rule of law vacuum created following the resignations of Kosovo Serbs from institutions in the north.

The EU mission also said they have stepped up patrols in the northern municipalities in cooperation with Kosovo Police and KFOR. “EULEX Kosovo is closely monitoring the security situation in northern Kosovo, also in view of the by-elections for the four Mayors and two Municipal Assemblies in northern Kosovo. In this regard, we are considering different potential scenarios, and we will adjust our presence and activities accordingly, in closer coordination with the Kosovo Police and KFOR,” they said.

Haxhiu: CEC, security institutions to assess security situation in north (Koha)

Kosovo’s Minister of Justice, Albulena Haxhiu, said the government will look into the requests of the Central Election Commission and security institutions to assess the security situation surrounding the extraordinary local elections in the north of Kosovo in April 23. “In this respect, any request that the CEC has for the government, we are obliged to enable it. It is the responsibility of the CEC, in cooperation with security institutions, to assess the situation and to decide … The moment we have the kind of information that say for example the elections should not be held, then we will certainly announce our position. We follow the requests of the CEC,” she said.

UNMIK chief condemns shooting in northern Kosovo (media)         

UNMIK chief Caroline Ziadeh condemned on Wednesday the shooting in “northern Kosovo on Monday night, during which a Kosovo Serb was wounded, and takes note of the arrest of police officers suspected of involvement in this incident. She wishes the victim a speedy recovery”. “SRSG Ziadeh acknowledges statements by Kosovo institutions that a thorough investigation will be launched. This is crucial for justice, accountability and the protection of human rights. She calls for responsible leadership to maintain calm and ensure the safety and security of all communities,” the statement notes.

Pineles: KLA is being tried in the Hague (teve1)

Former U.S. judge of the EU Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX), Dean Pineles, in an interview with teve1, commented on the latest developments at the Specialist Chambers of Kosovo. He argued that in the process it is difficult to tell Albanians that that only individuals and not the Kosovo Liberation Army are on trial. “The Specialist Chambers have repeatedly said that only individuals and not the KLA are on trial, but it is hard for me to make the difference. Putting four commanders of the KLA on trial and then say that their guerilla organisation is not on trial is difficult to sell to the Albanian public,” he said.

“There were long discussions about the issue of organs trafficking, starting from former chief prosecutor of the ICTY, Carla Del Ponte, and former Swiss state prosecutor, Dick Marty, and Clint Williamson. But as you can see now, the indictment does not include organs trafficking … That issue is now only part of history and not part of the court proceeding. It if was known in the beginning that there was no organ trafficking, this court would probably have never existed,” he argued.

Gutierrez: Sustainable funding ensures independence of RTK (RTK)

Ricardo Gutierrez, General Secretary of the European Federation of Journalists, said in a statement to RTK on Wednesday that there needs to be greater safety for reporters in Kosovo. Commenting on the assault against reporter Valon Syla, Gutierrez commended the Kosovo Police and the prosecution for their swift reaction. He however expressed concern over the fact that the prosecution initially qualified the assault as light injuries.

Gutierrez also commented on the depoliticization of the RTK. “The depoliticization of the RTK is a very important step. The government now needs to secure sustainable funding to ensure the independence of the public broadcaster,” he said.

Gutierrez also said that Kosovo’s image is changing for the better and mentioned positive steps, including the program for reporters from Ukraine and Afghanistan.

Professor suspended over accusations of threatening, abusing, students (BIRN)

The University of Prishtina has suspended Professor Bekim Bejta from his post after students accused him of using offensive language and behaviour for years.

After more than 10 years of student confrontations with him, the Senate of the University of Pristina suspended Professor Bejta from his job on Wednesday.

Over the years, students of the Department of English Language and Literature of the Faculty of Philology have accused him of making threats and being abusive.

“The UP Senate has unanimously decided that Professor Bejta be suspended from his position at the University of Prishtina, where he is prohibited from any engagement with students and faculty,” UP stated on its website.

The disciplinary measure will last at least six months, until the end of the disciplinary procedure initiated in the Council of Ethics and the final decision by this body.

The Senate confirmed that on Wednesday it discussed concerns regarding the allegedly non-academic and unethical behavior of the professor, after complaints and denunciations were presented and repeated to the Ethics Council.

“The Senate of the University of Prishtina takes allegations of unethical and unacademic language and behavior seriously and will not tolerate any behavior that harms the well-being and educational experience of students,” the university said.

Read more at: https://bit.ly/3mzuLQz

‘Tech for Good’ in Kosovo: Women entrepreneurs lead the way (BIRN)

A new generation of innovative young people in Kosovo, including young women, is embracing the idea of ‘technology for good’ to tackle the big issues facing society.

Excellent hospitality, a plethora of international pop stars and athletes, a great coffee culture and buzzing nightlife. Such things Kosovo is already known for.

However, in more recent years, the young people of Europe’s youngest country have also begun to place Kosovo on the map for innovation with a growing number of tech start-ups emerging into the spotlight, such as Gjirafa, and, more recently, Crossplag.

Kosovo has one of the highest internet penetration rates in the world, at almost 100 per cent, and waves of young people learning to code from an early age make it the perfect arena as a start-up haven.

Young people around the world are considered both more digitally literate and socially conscious than older generations, with a growing interest in doing business better than before ensuring that businesses have a positive societal impact, as well as a private economic one.

Read more at: https://bit.ly/408FgIq

Kharchenko: We’ll try to treat Association at UN Security Council (Klan)

Russian Ambassador to Belgrade, Aleksandar Botsan-Kharchenko, said on Wednesday that Russia, which presides over the UN Security Council this month, will advocate for the formation of the Association of Serb-majority municipalities in Kosovo. In a statement to the media, the Russian diplomat said that Kremlin is committed to a productive discussion at the Security Council on the core of real acute problems for Serbs in Kosovo and that the Association is one of them.