UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, October 24, 2024

Albanian Language Media:

Kurti repeats the demands toward Serbia in the dialogue (RTK)
Barduani meets Kurti: Dialogue only way to compose ongoing issues (media)
Reuten: Punitive measures against Kosovo must be removed (media)
Kurti on terrorist attack in Turkey: Let’s work together to combat terrorism (media)
Haradinaj condemns terrorist attack in Ankara; “attack against peace” (media)
Osmani: Courts in Kosovo set a very good example of rule of law (RTK)
UNMIK: In north of Kosovo, still potential for escalation (Albanian Post)
Hovenier calls for fair, open, and inclusive selection process in call of KPC (media)
Citaku: Investigations against Kajtazi and Mehmetaj, orchestrated scandal (media)
First two projects of Kosovo Prosperity Fund signed in Mitrovica North (RTK)
Murati meets head of IMF Mission for Kosovo (media)
Police arrest person, find visit cards, shirts with nationalistic signs (media)
United Nations Day (Kosovapress)
Kearns: Vucic continues to seek closer ties to Putin (media)

Serbian Language Media:

Meeting of Serbian delegation with Lajcak ended in Brussels, uncertainty about "tripartite" meeting (Beta, N1)
KoSSev: North Mitrovica omitted from ID cards, technical mistake or intention?
Students: This is beginning of our non-violent and democratic struggle for rights of Serbs in Kosovo (Kosovo Online, media, social media)
Lawyer: Prosecution opened proceeding against President of Football Association in Kosovo over jerseys (Kosovo Online)
Subaric informs British Ambassador about appropriation of municipal land, seeks his support (Radio KIM)
Vulin: Belgrade will not impose sanctions on Moscow (N1)
Less: In long term, border changes are prerequisite for stabilization of Balkans (Kosovo Online)
Vucic recalled Serbian Ambassador to the UN Nemanja Stevanovic (NMagazin, Beta, Danas)
Vucic and Tusk meeting: Strengthening bilateral relations, EU integration, situations in Kosovo (Kontakt plus radio, media)

Opinion

NIN on story which is kept quiet about: Serbian women from Kosovo suffer sexual harassment (NIN, Blic)

International:

Serbian, Kosovar negotiators meet with EU envoy to jump start stalled talks (RFE)
Ethnic tensions dominate life in divided Kosovan city, decades after war (Reuters)
Lost in Translation: Open Balkan ID initiative yet to take off (BIRN)

Albanian Language Media

Kurti repeats the demands toward Serbia in the dialogue (RTK)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti reiterated today the demands that Kosovo has toward Serbia in the process of dialogue. “What is important for us is the legal security and trust in the talks which implies signing the Basic Agreement and the Implementation Annex, the handing over of Milan Radoicic and his criminal group, the withdrawal of the letter of then-Prime Minister Brnabic when she told 27 member states of the European Union in December last year that they will not recognize the territorial integrity of Kosovo. It is unacceptable for our territorial integrity not to be respected,” Kurti told reporters today.

Kurti also said that he expects information from Kosovo’s chief negotiator and his deputy, Besnik Bislimi, about today’s meetings in the EU-facilitated dialogue in Brussels.

Barduani meets Kurti: Dialogue only way to compose ongoing issues (media)

Commander of NATO peacekeeping troops in Kosovo (KFOR), Major General Enrico Barduani, met today with Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti. KFOR said in a statement that the meeting was part of the KFOR Commander’s regular interactions with his main counterparts in Kosovo. “During the meeting, Major General Barduani underscored KFOR's contribution to a safe and secure environment, for all people and communities living in Kosovo and freedom of movement, at all times and impartially. He also reiterated KFOR’s full support to an internationally-sustained dialogue between Pristina and Belgrade, as the only way to compose the ongoing issues, to the benefit of all communities living in Kosovo,” the statement notes.

Reuten: Punitive measures against Kosovo must be removed (media)

Dutch member of the European Parliament, Thijs Reuten, said in a post on X today that the EU’s punitive measures against Kosovo must be removed. “They should not have been there in the first place. There were bigger incidents that went unpunished, like the paramilitary attack in Banjska,” he said.

Kurti on terrorist attack in Turkey: Let’s work together to combat terrorism (media)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti said in a post on X today that Kosovo “strongly condemns the terrorist attack on the Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAŞ) headquarters yesterday in Ankara. On behalf of the people and Government of the Republic of Kosova, I express my condolences to the people of Türkiye and the families of the victims and wish a full and speedy recovery to those injured. Let us stand and work together to combat terrorism and to protect our shared values of peace, security, and the rule of law”.

Haradinaj condemns terrorist attack in Ankara; “attack against peace” (media)

Leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), Ramush Haradinaj, condemned the terrorist attack in Ankara on Wednesday, saying that “this barbaric attack that strikes on innocent people and threatens the security of a whole country is an attack against peace and stability”. “In these difficult moments, we stand beside the people and government of Turkey and express our deepest condolences to the families of victims and pray for the recovery of the wounded. We stand united in efforts for a safe and fairer world, where violence and terror have no place,” he said.

Osmani: Courts in Kosovo set a very good example of rule of law (RTK)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani said today that the courts in Kosovo have set a very good example in the rule of law area. In her address at an international conference titled “Evolutions in Contemporary Constitutional Justice – an example of the Balkans region”, Osmani said: “the establishment of this forum will further cooperation between constitutional courts in defense and guarantee of human rights and freedoms. Our institutions remain committed to the basic principles of democracy, rule of law and guarantee of human rights”.

UNMIK: In north of Kosovo, still potential for escalation (Albanian Post)

The latest report by the UN Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), which covers activities and developments from March 16 to September 14, 2024, notes that the situation in the Serb-majority northern part of Kosovo remains tense and that the potential for escalating tensions continues.

Since the start of 2024, Kosovo authorities have closed several parallel institutions of Serbia, in addition to removing the use of the Dinar. But these moves were opposed by local Serbs and one part of the international community. Tensions were also on the rise after statements that the main bridge over the Iber River in Mitrovica could be opened.

The UNMIK report notes that “unilateral actions” could spike tensions and erode the trust between the communities and institutions. The report also calls on Kosovo and Serbia to reconfirm their engagement in the dialogue for the normalization of relations and the full implementation of agreements.

“Moreover, I call for responsible leadership that gives priority to the well-being and human rights of all people living in Kosovo. It is important for the actions of political leaders to reflect a commitment to address the needs and rights of all communities,” the report of the UNMIK chief notes.

The news website notes that “the report also mentions the terrorist attack of Serb paramilitaries in the village of Banjska of Zvecan in September 2023, which has been qualified as ‘a grave security incident’ and underlines the urgent need for the parties to cooperate in holding the perpetrators accountable: ‘This is crucial for reestablishing trust and ensuring long-term stability’.”

The next session of the United Nations Security Council on Kosovo, which will discuss the biannual report about the activities and developments of UNMIK of the Special Representative of the Secretary General (SRSG) Caroline Ziadeh will be held on October 30 in New York.

Hovenier calls for fair, open, and inclusive selection process in call of KPC (media)

U.S. Ambassador to Kosovo, Jeffrey Hovenier, said on Wednesday that on Monday, the Kosovo Prosecutorial Council opened vacancies for five Chief Prosecutor positions. “The U.S. echoes the EU’s call for a fair, open, and inclusive selection process that values merit and gender representation. Public trust in the prosecution system and in the selected candidates heavily depends on the credibility of the processes administered by the KPC,” Hovenier said in a post on X.

Citaku: Investigations against Kajtazi and Mehmetaj, orchestrated scandal (media)

Deputy leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), Vlora Citaku, said in a Facebook post on Wednesday that “the initiation of investigations by the prosecution against two of the best reporters in Kosovo, Vehbi Kajtazi and Lirim Mehmetaj, is not only unacceptable but also an orchestrated scandal. The tendency to shift the attention away from reports about the instrumentalization of the AKI [Kosovo Intelligence Agency], as a generator of news against reporters, to the detriment of their name and the career, will not pass today or any other day. In Kosovo there are many scandals and way more officials who for the last four years deserve to be investigated, tried and convicted. Vehbi, Lirim and every other reporter is protected by the Constitution of the Republic of Kosovo. The abusers and those that are corrupted are not!”

Most news websites reported on Wednesday that the chief prosecutor in Pristina confirmed that the Basic Prosecution has initiated criminal investigations against Kajtazi and Mehmetaj. Citing sources in the prosecution, Paparaci news website reported that the investigations are related to the revealing of the identities of officials of the Kosovo Intelligence Agency.

Kajtazi earlier said that the investigations against him and Mehmetaj are related to their exposing of the alleged involvement of the Agency in an article published by Slobodna Bosna about the alleged funding of two Kosovo news websites by Serbia.

First two projects of Kosovo Prosperity Fund signed in Mitrovica North (RTK)

In Mitrovica North on Wednesday two of the first projects were signed at the launch of the Kosovo Prosperity Fund of the International Communities Organization (ICO). The project, which will total at €300 million, aims to integrate non-majority communities in the political, economic and cultural life of Kosovo.

Members of non-majority communities will benefit from the Prosperity Fund, a project signed between Kosovo Deputy Prime Minister Emilija Redzepi and the ICO Secretary General James Holmes. “This is a long-term project that covers the period from 2024 to 2030, and which enables all associations, all enterprises, and all companies to use this fund, while at the same time developing social cohesion and multiethnicity so that we can all work together and function in the environments we live in,” Redzepi said.

Holmes said that “the purpose of the Prosperity Fund is to work for all communities in Kosovo, but in particular for non-majority communities and we are very happy to be here today in Mitrovica North to sign the first contracts. In both cases, these companies will work hard to develop tolerance and respect, and as they grow, they will employ people from all communities and provide services for all communities”.

Murati meets head of IMF Mission for Kosovo (media)

Kosovo’s Minister of Finance, Hekuran Murati, during his stay in the U.S., together with the Governor of the Central Bank of Kosovo, Ahmet Ismaili, met with the head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Mission for Kosovo, David Amaglobeli. Murati presented several economic indicators and the progress that Kosovo achieved and outlined the lowering of the public debt.

Amaglobeli commended Kosovo for a good macroeconomic performance which is reflected in the economic growth beyond initial forecasts, and with a low level of inflation which marked 0.4 percent in September.

A statement issued by the Ministry of Finance notes that the parties discussed current projects and programs such as the Stand-By Arrangement (SBA) and the Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF) with the International Monetary Fund and the implementation of recommendations deriving from these programs. They also discussed avenues for continued cooperation in the future.

Police arrest person at Bernjak, find visit cards, shirts with nationalistic signs (media)

Kosovo Police said in a report that they arrested “a Kosovo national at the Bernjak border crossing on Wednesday” after finding in his car seven shirts and 148 visit cards with nationalistic signs. A case of “inciting hatred, division and intolerance” was initiated. The suspect was released in regular procedure.

United Nations Day (Kosovapress)

The news agency reports that today is United Nations Day, noting that the main objective of the organization is to strengthen cooperation between nations, economic development, and safeguarding security and peace throughout the world. The UN is a successor of the League of Nations but with a wider and fuller structure, organization and membership. The UN Charter was adopted on June 26, and it entered into force on October 24, 1945. This day was declared as the United Nations Day.

Kearns: Vucic continues to seek closer ties to Putin (media)

Several news websites report that member of the UK Parliament, Alicia Kearns, said in a post on X on Wednesday that Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic “continues to seek more Russian gas and closer ties to Putin, sending four Ministers to the BRICs summit in Russia. These include two Serbian Ministers under US sanctions, Aleksandar Vulin and Nenad Popovic. Meanwhile Ukrainians face the prospect of another Winter under attack with Russian strikes targeting energy infrastructure to try to freeze them into surrender”.

Serbian Language Media

Meeting of Serbian delegation with Lajcak ended in Brussels, uncertainty about "tripartite" meeting (Beta, N1)

In Brussels, a separate meeting of the delegation of Serbia led by Petar Petkovic and the special envoy for dialogue with Pristina, Miroslav Lajcak was completed within the framework of the new round of that dialogue at the level of the main negotiators.

RTS reported that Lajcak should have a meeting with the Pristina delegation led by its chief negotiator Besnik Bislimi.

It is not yet known whether there will be a tripartite meeting - both delegations with the EU representative. In the previous round of dialogue on September 17, there was no such meeting.

KoSSev: North Mitrovica omitted from ID cards, technical mistake or intention?

Once Kosovska Mitrovica in 2008 by the law in the Kosovo system got divided into two municipalities, and in 2013 in line with Brussels agreement, the two separate municipalities Mitrovica North and Mitrovica South came to life.

However, 11 years later, the word North has ‘flown away’ from Kosovo ID cards issued to some people whose residence is in Mitrovica North and who obtained those ID cards in the second half of 2024, KoSSev portal reports today.

With the establishment of North Mitrovica municipality, its name has been included in the ID cards of people living in this municipality. The practice was that people who obtained Kosovo ID cards had Mitrovica written in the column dedicated to the place of birth, while Mitrovica North was written in the column dedicated to their place of residence.

However, the portal further writes it received over the previous days calls from several people saying that the term North Mitrovica has 'flown away’ from their ID cards. It is about ID cards issued in the second half of this year. One of them, who showed his ID card to the portal, obtained it at the end of September this year.

Another person, who at least according to his new ID card is no longer a resident of Mitrovica North, despite living there for decades, obtained the ID card saying his residence is in Mitrovica in the first half of October.

One of the persons, KoSSev portal spoke to, and who did not share the destiny of the two above mentioned cases, obtained his ID card in April this year. In his new ID card his place of residence is Mitrovica North.

The portal inquired as to what had changed in the period from April to September this year with issuing ID cards in Mitrovica North municipality, respectively how the name of a place which officially does not exist as municipality got included into new ID cards.

Ugljanin: It would be contrary to the law

“It is impossible that this is the case. I will check that, because as a municipality and as per statute it has to read North Mitrovica, given that there is Mitrovica South as southern part, and north as separate part”, Chair of Mitrovica North Municipal Assembly Nedzad Ugljanin told the portal.

He said it is illegal if a person from Mitrovica North has only Mitrovica included in his personal document. He has also promised to go to the office for issuing personal documents located in the municipality to see what are the reasons for it.

KoSSev also sent a media inquiry to the chief of Mitrovica North mayor’s cabinet Visar Syla asking how the name of a place which officially does not exist as a municipality got included in the ID cards, respectively why Mitrovica North residents are denied inclusion of the municipality where they live in their ID cards, but no replay arrived by the time the news was published.

Students: This is beginning of our non-violent and democratic struggle for rights of Serbs in Kosovo (Kosovo Online, media, social media)

The students who yesterday organized the Student Index Booklets Walk performance in Mitrovica North explained that all participants had their mouths taped to represent the position of the Serbian people in Kosovo, who lack freedom of speech and other human rights. Raised student index booklets toward Kosovo police symbolized the issuing of a "red card" to those who oppress Serbs, they added. Organizers also said yesterday’s walk is the beginning of their peaceful and diplomatic struggle for the rights of Serbs in Kosovo, and that similar gatherings will continue in the future, Kosovo Online portal reported.

The organizers, students of University of Pristina with a temporary seat in Mitrovica North, announced on their Instagram account https://tinyurl.com/37rcj2z8 that the purpose of the gathering was to support the Serbian people in Kosovo.

"Today, October 23, 2024, starting at 12:44 PM, we, the students of the University of Pristina with temporary headquarters in Kosovska Mitrovica, organized the performance 'Index Walk.' In this way, we wanted to show our support for our people in Kosovo and Metohija, who face daily terror and repression by the regime in Pristina. Our taped mouths represent the current state of the Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija, who today lack freedom of speech and other basic human rights”, reads the announcement. "Our highly raised index booklets towards members of the so-called Kosovo police and the establishments they forcibly opened in the north, as well as toward the building that used to house our library, which was taken from us, symbolize the referee's issuing of a red card to all those who oppress our people", they added.

They also pointed out that during the walk, they experienced an unpleasant situation when plainclothes inspectors approached them.

"At the end of the performance, which passed without a single incident, inspectors in civilian clothes approached our colleagues and did not allow them to move for several minutes while questioning them. Although it is difficult and unpleasant, this will not deter us in our fight for our rights and a better future for students and the entire Serbian people. From now on, we will announce all our performances and actions exclusively through our Instagram profile, 'indeks_za_slobodu.' Long live the University of Pristina with temporary headquarters in Kosovska Mitrovica! Long live Serbia!", the statement said.

Lawyer: Prosecution opened proceeding against President of Football Association in Kosovo over jerseys (Kosovo Online)

Lawyer Milos Delevic told Kosovo Online portal that Igor Uljarevic, President of the Serbian Football Associations in Kosovo was briefly detained yesterday, while Special Prosecution has opened an investigation against him because of, as they said, causing ‘discord and intolerance’.

During a regular check up at Brnjak crossing point, jerseys with inscriptions “Football Association of Kosovo and Metohija” and “No Surrender” were found in Uljarevic’s vehicle.

With these jerseys he allegedly provoked Kosovo Albanians, although Uljarevic said he never wore those jerseys in public, nor his football players.

“He received those jerseys as a gift and kept them in the trunk of his vehicle. Because of inscriptions on jerseys, by such an attitude of police and Special Prosecution, children are banned from doing the sport, which must be separated from politics”, Delevic said.

Uljarevic was released pending trial, while the criminal act of causing discord and intolerance may be punished by five years in prison, the portal recalled.

Subaric informs British Ambassador about appropriation of municipal land, seeks his support (Radio KIM)

Mayor of Gracanica, Ljiljana Subaric requested today British Ambassador in Pristina, Jonathan Hargreaves to influence Kosovo Government so the latter would reconsider and retract its decision to take away more that 13 hectares of land belonging to Gracanica municipality in the Padaliste settlement and allocate it to the “Balkans’ Orphans” association to build, as they said, residential center for children and adult persons with autism, Down syndrome and disabilities.

During the meeting Subaric voiced her concern and that of the local authorities as well as residents in Gracanica following the decision of Kosovo Government to give the land to this organization.

Subaric and her deputy Igor Aritonovic once again underlined that Kosovo Government made this decision without any prior consultations with the municipality and without municipal consent.

They also informed Ambassador Hargreaves that Gracanica Municipal Assembly councilors will discuss this government’s decision in an extraordinary session scheduled to take place tomorrow.

This was the first visit of Ambassador Hargreaves to Gracanica municipality since he took over the duty at the beginning of 2024, Radio KIM recalled.

Vulin: Belgrade will not impose sanctions on Moscow (N1)

Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vulin said Belgrade will not impose sanctions on Moscow despite pressure to do so. Speaking at the BRICS summit in Kazan, Vulin said that the West is pressuring Belgrade over its cooperation with Moscow, adding that Russia has always supported Serbia. Do not expect sanctions or an end to direct flights between Serbia and Russia, he is quoted as saying.

According to Vulin, pressure is being exerted over any activity between the two countries. “The collective West is always pressuring us when they see that we are maintaining good relations with Russia”, he said, adding that Serbia’s policy of economic cooperation will not change including flights to Moscow.

He said that official Belgrade is satisfied with the military equipment it bought from Russia and is prepared to purchase more. A government press release said that he met with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Belarus President Aleksandar Lukashenko, Egyptian President Fatah Al-Sisi and Venezuelan President Nicholas Maduro. The RIA-Novosti agency quoted him as saying that Serbia hopes for a place in BRICS because it offers freedom and does not demand a change of political system.

Less: In long term, border changes are prerequisite for stabilization of Balkans (Kosovo Online)

Timothy Less, a professor at the Centre for Geopolitics at the University of Cambridge, tells Kosovo Online that the administration of U.S. President Joseph Biden will certainly not support a solution to Kosovo's status based on territorial exchange, and that such a solution would not have the support of Kamala Harris's administration either, if she wins the elections in November. If Donald Trump wins the elections, his administration, as Less assesses, would support territorial exchange or the partition of Kosovo as a means to secure Serbia's recognition of Kosovo.

Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/m6jxyd77

Vucic recalled Serbian Ambassador to the UN Nemanja Stevanovic (NMagazin, Beta, Danas)

The President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, recalled the Serbian Ambassador to the United Nations, Nemanja Stevanovic, by decree.

The decree on the recall of Stevanovic from the post of head of the Permanent Mission of Serbia to the UN was published on October 23 in the Official Gazette, reported NMagazin, citing Danas.

Vucic and Tusk meeting: Strengthening bilateral relations, EU integration, situations in Kosovo (Kontakt plus radio, media)

The President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, met today with the Polish Prime Minister, Donald Tusk.

Vucic announced on the Instagram profile buducnostsrbijeav, the meeting was about strengthening bilateral relations and cooperation in key issues of mutual importance.

During the meeting, Vucic and Tusk discussed Serbia's European path and the European integration of the countries of the Western Balkans, emphasizing the need for clearer signals from Brussels regarding the enlargement of the European Union. Vucic emphasized the importance that Serbia attaches to cooperation with Poland, not only because of support for the EU path, but also in terms of strengthening economic relations and the potential for investing in strategic projects. In addition, they discussed the current situation in the region and the world, including common challenges such as security and economy.

Vucic emphasized the importance of intensifying diplomatic efforts in order to find lasting solutions to the growing difficulties that everyone is facing.

One of the key topics was the situation in Kosovo.

Vucic expressed concern about the "almost impossible conditions in which the Serbian people live" and reiterated his determination to resolve all issues peacefully through dialogue.

"This meeting also represents a significant step towards deepening friendly relations between Serbia and Poland and strengthening the European future of our country, for which I especially thanked the distinguished guest," wrote Vucic, reported Kontakt plus radio.

Opinion

NIN on story which is kept quiet about: Serbian women from Kosovo suffer sexual harassment (NIN, Blic)

Catcalling from cars, lascivious comments, stopping and following, stalking on social media are increasingly common phenomena that women from the north of Kosovo face today. It would perhaps be yet another story, out of numerous painful stories about violence against the weaker sex, if these women were not of Serbian nationality, and if the attackers were without exception Albanians. And if the motives for harassment were of a sexual nature, and not pressures and attacks, which, by all accounts, have a deeper connotation.

In one day, the ‘Informal Group of Women’ from the North of Kosovo collected 30 testimonies of girls and women of Serbian nationality, aged from 15 to 60, who were victims of harassment in the past period. KFOR, the EU, the embassies of Western countries in Pristina are aware of the problem of sexual harassment, according to the Group of Women from the North. The NGO “Aktiv” from North Mitrovica has opened a special telephone line through which victims can contact. Kosovo police confirm that there were reported cases.

Announcements about the opening of the main bridge over the Ibar, which divides North and South Mitrovica, but also the opening of numerous Albanian cafés, have brought new problems to North Mitrovica, especially for the residents of the only urban area in Kosovo where the majority Serb population lives. From certain bars, guests of Albanian nationality started to catcall, as well as to film those who were passing by. Not infrequently, our interlocutors say, girls and women are being followed by cars, stopped, flirted with and asked for contact numbers.

“It happened to me twice that I experienced sexual harassment in North Mitrovica this year, once in the evening hours, more or less in the centre of Mitrovica - a car stopped with young men in it who started catcalling. The second time was in the early afternoon in Bošnjačka Mahala when an elderly man started whistling after me on the street. I didn’t report it to the police. In the first case, I froze with fear, I neither memorized the license plate number, nor anything that would help with identification. In the second instance, even if the police act professionally, it will be their word against mine”, Milica Radovanovic from Mitrovica North-based New Social Initiative NGO told NIN.

Milica is just one of the residents of this city who experienced discomfort on the street in recent months. There were more terrible cases. In anonymous testimonies, female residents from the north describe the vulgarities they experience, threatening messages, people stripping and masturbating on the street. They don’t want to talk about it publicly, fearing the possible consequences.

“The man opened the window and began to hurl insults in English, which I knew for sure was not his native language, and that he was following me in his car. I started walking faster, but the car was following me all the time. At one point, the man parked his car and started walking towards me. He opened the car door, got out and, naked up to his knees, masturbated while standing. I stood motionless on the stairs, knowing that if I go back, he will start again following with the car because he obviously knows the area well”, said one of the victims of the violence, who did not want her name published.

Milica Radovanovic said that the prevailing feeling during the collection of testimonies was anger.

“The testimonies are anonymous; however, I know the face behind each story. In addition, we asked the women to describe their experience in as much detail as possible. No woman should have to go through this. I was particularly struck by the stories in which women described the harassment they experienced at the hands of the police, the ones to whom they are supposed to report such cases and who are supposed to protect them. In addition to anger, I feel extremely frustrated because I can’t do anything to stop it”, Milica said.

However, what Milica Radovanovic and several other women from the north of Kosovo, mostly members of civil society organizations, were able to do was to form a group which collects data on harassment, security problems, and other forms of violation of the rights of Serbs in the north. Among these data are the testimonies of women.

“These are women from 15 to 60 years old. What’s important for people to understand is that it has nothing to do with ‘sexual attractiveness’, that it is not aimed at younger girls dressed ‘attractively’ and the like, no, it’s not about that. It is aimed at women of all possible ages. I think the only goal of this behavior is to establish dominance and intimidate women, which I can’t say that they don’t succeed. In the majority of cases, it is about men who catcall out of the car, invite women to get into the car, it often happens that they follow them, make lascivious comments... It is about individuals with dishonorable intentions from the south (where the Albanian majority population lives) who, encouraged by the nationalist behavior of the government and the inaction of the police, feel free and protected enough to come to North Mitrovica during the day and at night and intimidate women”, Radovanovic said, adding that the harassment has intensified in the last year.

As she said, what particularly worries her, is the fact that in addition to individuals “some members of Kosovo police also take part in the sexual harassment of women in the north”.

“We have testimonies in which women describe the harassment they have suffered from members of the police, whether it is the fact that after crossing (administrative crossing) Jarinje and giving ID cards, they receive friend requests on social media by members of the police, or catcalling, insisting that they should drink coffee with them sometime and get to know each other better... In addition, the Kosovo police in the north have turned into an instrument of government propaganda, so there is no trust in them in the community, but rather a fear that even that report to the police could be misused for the purpose of further intimidation”, Milica Radovanović added. These are the reasons, she said, that most women do not dare to report cases to the police.

Petrit Fejza from Kosovo police region north confirmed to NIN that their service registered cases of harassment of women, but also that some of the reports were rejected because, as he said, based on video surveillance, it was determined “that there is no case”.

“We have ten cases of harassment, seven have been identified, while three are under investigation”, Fejza replied. He did not answer questions about whether there was any information that individual members of the Kosovo police participated in the harassment.

Letter to KFOR

A group of women from the north sent a letter with 415 signatures from residents of northern Kosovo to the previous commander of KFOR, Major General Özkan Ulutaş. As Milica Radovanovic pointed out, it highlights all the problems faced by Serbs in the north, including the problem of sexual harassment.

“KFOR, UNMIK, representatives of the EU and other embassies are familiar with this problem. Considering their current role in Kosovo, as well as the role they played in building and supporting these institutions, we have a legitimate reason to expect them to take actions and prevent further deterioration of the security situation”, Radovanovic underlined.

We do not want our problems to be used for ‘cheap propaganda’ in Serbia

Milica Radovanovic emphasized that the current situation of Serbs in the north “must not be abused by anyone in Serbia to demonize Albanians”.

“I have to say this, because it would not be the first or the last time that the real problems faced by Kosovo Serbs are used for propaganda and demonization of the entire Albanian people. In addition to the fact that our problems are not solved in any way, an additional injustice is committed as a response to injustice, and our truth is distorted and reduced to cheap propaganda. The problems we face today are the result of systemic discrimination which, unfortunately, allows individuals with dishonorable intentions, encouraged by ultra-nationalist government policies, to come to the north (but also to other areas where Serbs live in Kosovo) and behave as they please because they know that they will not be held accountable for their actions. The problems I am describing are not a mirror of the entire Albanian people, but of the current policy of the Kosovo government, which sends a clear message to us, the Serbs in Kosovo, with its actions - we don’t want you here”, Milica Radovanovic concluded.

NIN further writes that it should be emphasized that what has been happening in the north of Kosovo lately is no longer news in the south. Harassment of women south of the Ibar has been going on for years. This is confirmed by numerous newspaper reports, as well as reports by organizations dealing with women’s rights. The Kosovo Women’s Network wrote extensively about the problem of gender-based harassment in its report in 2016.

Harassments in the southern part of Kosovo last much longer than in the north. Milica Stojanovic Kostic from the NGO “Pravo na pravo” (We have a right to our right) from Gračanica testifies to this.

“This kind of harassment started, I believe, more than ten years ago in Gračanica. And it hasn’t stopped to this day. Sexist insults happen on the main road (Priština-Gnjilane) that passes through our town. It started when I was a girl. I had a scary situation, it happened that the car followed me the whole time I was going through the village, then at one point it even stopped at the bus stop where I stopped to wait for a taxi that would take me home, because I got very scared. Then I got into the taxi, we started, and I asked the taxi driver to go the other way, however, the man who was following me continued to follow us. When I arrived in front of the house, I asked the taxi driver to tell me where the car was going, he told me that he saw that it had continued towards Priština”, Milica Stojanovic Kostic said.

She noted that catcalling is happening every day, and that the victims are mostly girls.

“They are mostly young women. It happened to me that a car was following me, moving slowly, and the passenger through the open window was saying something in Albanian that I didn’t understand very well, but I did understand a few things, such as ‘loçka’, that should be ‘pretty’ or ‘sweet’. Often the middle finger is something you can see. Mostly teenagers and girls are being targeted, but they don’t bypass me even today, even though I am pregnant”, Stojanovic Kostic said.

When asked why such cases are not reported, Stojanovic Kostic answers: “I think distrust in institutions is the key to every problem we have, including this one. If I believed more that the system whose job it is to protect me will do so, I might dare. As a young girl I had a completely different perception. Now, if the institutions are not doing their job, I would put public pressure on them. That’s why I understand the girls who remain silent, but I think they should be encouraged to report such cases”, she said.

There are many reasons for not trusting the Kosovo police, added Milica Radovanovic from North Mitrovica.

“We are no longer the only ones who are speaking out, among other things, you could see it in the statement of the American embassy – ‘The Kosovo police is instrumentalized by the Kosovo government.’ Although there are also professional individuals, unfortunately, they too are often powerless to oppose the orders of superiors, and individuals who enjoyed trust in the community are today seen as an extended arm of Kurti’s Vetevendosje. Even those cases in which individuals filed formal complaints remained in most cases unresolved or dismissed. The police are here in the service of the government’s agenda and if anyone reports any case that would undermine the official narrative of Vetevendosje about what is happening in the north, it will be covered up”.

Hotline for residents to report cases

The non-governmental organization Aktiv from North Mitrovica launched a campaign and opened a telephone line for reporting incidents and threats to the rights of people in the north of Kosovo.

People can report verbal, physical or sexual harassment of women and girls - any teasing, insults or rude behaviour; traffic problems; non-compliance with the Law on the Use of Languages; cases in which people believe that the police, the Police Inspectorate or other institutions did not act in an appropriate or transparent manner; freedom of speech and the right to protest; incidents at police stations; problems with the police and their attitude towards citizens and the media, Aktiv said in a statement.

“In September, more than ten people from North Mitrovica reported harassment, mainly around the main bridge, the promenade and the multi-ethnic neighborhood of Bošnjačka Mahala. Such cases were rare before, so this kind of phenomenon certainly caused anxiety among the citizens in the north. At the same time, the high degree of mistrust in the police and Kosovo institutions, which are responsible for investigating such cases, influenced the decision to reactivate the already existing telephone line, through which citizens are invited to report various cases” , Aktiv executive director Miodrag Milićević told NIN.

NIN noted that Milićević himself was a victim of the inappropriate behavior of special units near the Jarinje crossing at the end of 2022, when he was verbally and physically harassed by uniformed persons with balaclavas.

Serbian residents from the north of Kosovo, he said, often report excessive use of force and discrimination by the Kosovo Police.

“Some of them claim that police officers, especially those who do not speak the Serbian language, act arrogantly, hand out traffic tickets in the Albanian language and show unprofessionalism, as is the case with unnecessary searches or the use of threats during arrests. They also stated that they are treated in a biased manner, often just because of Serbian license plates or expressing disagreement with the actions of the police. The police refute such claims”, Milićević explained.

He also said that the current situation in the north of Kosovo causes great concern among people.

“Parents are especially afraid of unknown persons in the north, so more and more often they don’t allow their children to go to the only promenade in North Mitrovica. Many fear the potential escalation of the conflict, but also feel completely powerless, hoping that the international community will influence the central authorities in order to stabilize the situation in the north of Kosovo”, he concluded.

International

Serbian, Kosovar negotiators meet with EU envoy to jump start stalled talks (RFE)

EU envoy Miroslav Lajcak is meeting in Brussels with representatives from Kosovo and Serbia in an attempt to organize a new round of high-level talks as part of international mediation on implementing past commitments aimed at normalizing relations between the Balkan neighbors. According to the meeting agendas, Lajcak will meet individually with Serbia's Petar Petkovic and Kosovo's Besnik Bislimi, but it's not clear whether the two Balkan representatives will meet together. A day earlier, EU spokesman Peter Stano stated a day earlier that the discussions to move the process forward "largely depend on the readiness of both parties to meet." Petkovic and Bislimi met last month to try and arrange a similar high-level meeting, but those talks collapsed with both sides blaming each other for the lack of progress. Kosovo and Serbia have been negotiating normalization since 2011 through the Brussels dialogue, supervised by the EU. They reached an agreement on normalization steps in early 2023, but key elements of the deal remain unfulfilled. Kosovo insists that this agreement must be signed first, although the EU says it is binding on the parties regardless of signature.

Ethnic tensions dominate life in divided Kosovan city, decades after war (Reuters)

Since a new cafe called Missini Sweets opened this month in North Mitrovica, Kosovo, a smattering of guests have enjoyed its drinks and sweets. But the business has faced headwinds: it is run by ethnic Albanians and local ethnic Serbs refuse to enter.

A video posted in August on a Telegram channel popular with Serbs, viewed thousands of times, called for the cafe to be boycotted once open because it is in a Serb-dominated part of the city. An Albanian-run supermarket nearby, also highlighted in the video, has had similar treatment, a worker there said.

"At the moment we are not getting Serb customers because there is a campaign on social media and people are told not to enter my shop," said the owner of Missini Sweets in Mitrovica Astrit Misini.

Violence has flared repeatedly in Mitrovica since it became ethnically divided after the 1999 Kosovo war, as Serbs left southern Kosovo and concentrated in the north, and Albanians moved south. Now, 25 years on, relations in the city are deteriorating again, residents, officials and shop owners said, amid official moves to reopen a flashpoint bridge between the communities.