Albanian Language Media:

• Stano: Establishment of Association, an unfulfilled obligation of Kosovo (media)

• Report notes Osmani’s attention to gender equality, women’s rights (media)

• LDK and AAK will not vote on 2025 budget, Kusari: nothing new (media)

• LVV MPs leave Assembly session (Koha)

• “Largest number of attacks on journalists are [still] in investigative phase” (AJK)

• Person who threatened journalist Kajtazi sentenced to 5 months in prison (media)

• Haradinaj: Kurti saved Serbia; playing dangerous games with Association (media)

• Osmani, Kurti congratulate Moldova’s Sandu on second term as president (media)

Serbian Language Media: 

• The Milos Subotic case: NGOs from North asked prosecutor's office to announce an investigation against  suspended police officers (KoSSev)

• Detention of three Serbs arrested in relation to Banjska case extended for two more months (RTS, media)

• Lawyer Vasic: The hearing of the witness, we demanded the statements he gave to UNMIK and EULEX (Kosovo Online) 

• Savic: Kosovo in CEFTA with ban on Serbian goods being partially lifted (Kosovo Online)

• Serbian products slowly making their way to central Kosovo, buyers and sellers disappointed by quantity (Kosovo Online)

• Radovanovic: International factor to check whether agreement on lifting ban on Serbian goods is ‘deceit' (Kosovo Online)

• Institute for Public Health: The water in Lake Gracanica still not drinkable (Kosovo Online, KoSSev, KiM radio)

• EU Ambassador: Best prospects for Western Balkans (N1)

• 26 individuals questioned over Novi Sad tragedy (N1, media)

Albanian Language Media  

Stano: Establishment of Association, an unfulfilled obligation of Kosovo (media)

Spokesperson for the European Union, Peter Stano, said in an interview with RTV21 that the establishment of the Association of Serb-majority municipalities is an unfulfilled obligation of Kosovo deriving from the dialogue agreement in 2013, the only dialogue agreement ratified by the Kosovo Assembly with a two-thirds majority. “Therefore, it is a clear legal obligation for Kosovo according to international law. Unfortunately, since 2013, Kosovo has not taken the necessary steps for its establishment and for the additional protection of the rights of non-majority communities,” he said.

Stano said that according to the agreements reached in 2013 and 2015, the statute for the establishment of the Association must be drafted and discussed in the EU-facilitated dialogue. “In October 2023, in efforts to push forward the process of normalisation, the EU, with the support of member states and partners such as the U.S., presented a European draft-statute for the establishment of the Association of Serb-majority municipalities based on the best European models and practices, and Kosovo’s legal framework, which both parties accepted in principle. In the December 2023 conclusions, the EU Council welcomed the readiness of Serbia and Kosovo to accept the draft-statute which the EU facilitator presented to the parties. This is a formal recognition of the document by the 27 EU member states,” he said.

Report notes Osmani’s attention to gender equality, women’s rights (media)

The Office of Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani said in a Facebook post today that the latest European Commission report on Kosovo notes the continuous efforts of Osmani in the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) agenda. “It highlights the President’s high political attention to gender equality, women’s rights, and victims of sexual violence, and also the organization of the International Forum for Women, Peace and Security which brought together over 1,000 participants from over 40 world countries. The U.S. Department of State chose Kosovo, namely the Presidency of the Republic of Kosovo, as the only country in Europe, and among three countries in the world, to establish the Regional Centre of Excellence for Women, Peace, and Security!”

LDK and AAK will not vote on 2025 budget, Kusari: nothing new (media)

The head of the Vetevendosje Movement (LVV) Parliamentary Group, Mimoza Kusari-Lila, has said that "it is nothing new" that the opposition, at least LDK and AAK, have said that they will not vote on the draft budget for 2025.

She said that they have the votes to approve the draft budget. "In fact, if you look at the pattern of the opposition parties in any of the approvals that have taken place in this legislature, and this is the fourth in a row, the opposition has not participated. We have the parliamentary majority, as you saw last week, in the simple voting, we manage to approve laws and other decisions, while I have nothing to say about the opposition, they have defined and decided on a different path. It is a matter of their decision-making", she said

LVV MPs leave Assembly session (Koha)

The MPs of the Vetevendosje Movement (LVV) have left the Assembly session while the first point was being discussed. This point concerned the proposal of six MPs from the Parliamentary Group of the PDK for the dismissal of the members of the Radio and Television of Kosovo Board. During the discussions, the PDK MP, Eliza Hoxha, said that RTK does not have the credibility of the public broadcaster "until measures are taken against its management. We demand that measures be taken for the dismissal of each member of the Board of RTK".

LVV MP Valon Ramadani, chairman of the Media Commission, said that RTK has not been captured by them.

“Largest number of attacks on journalists are [still] in investigative phase” (AJK)

Although a small number of cases have been legally resolved in the past period, journalists must not be discouraged and should continue to report all types of attacks to competent institutions and journalist associations. The SafeJournalists Network, on the occasion of November 2, The International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, emphasises that without reported threats and attacks, there are no investigations, and therefore no solved cases. Only by actively participating in the mechanisms at their disposal, journalists can fight for a better and safer environment.

Journalists are the eyes and ears of democracy, its guardians and the extended hand of citizens. The role of journalists is essential for maintaining a free and open society. That’s why the SafeJournalists Network calls on the governments of the Western Balkan countries to take urgent and decisive measures to improve the safety of journalists and ensure justice for all those who have been victims of their own work.

The Network continues to advocate for the rights of journalists, a safer and more secure environment for their work, as well as better work conditions. On our improved website safejournalists.net, journalists can report attacks in the “report incident” section in English and local languages in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia, North Macedonia, Serbia and Kosovo. In addition, on the same part of the website, information on contact persons for journalists from the prosecution and the police, where such contact points exist, can be found.

In 2022, the SafeJournalists Network recorded in its database a total of 187 cases of rights violations and endangering the safety of journalists (which includes threats to journalists’ lives and physical safety, other forms of intimidation, actual attacks on journalists, killings, as well as threats and attacks against media outlets and organisations). Of the total number of cases, 107 were reported to the competent prosecutor’s offices and the police. That year, 20 cases were dismissed by the prosecution, and 21 cases were settled in court.

In 2023, a total of 235 cases were recorded in the database of the SafeJournalists Network, of which 115 were reported to the competent prosecutors and the police. A total of 11 cases were dismissed, and 26 were resolved in court proceedings.

By October 31, 211 cases were recorded in the database of the SafeJournalists Network for 2024. The number of cases reported to the police and prosecutor’s offices is 89, of which 7 cases have been dismissed, and so far only two have been resolved.

The largest number of cases from all three years are still in the investigation phase. Unfortunately, in most cases, the perpetrators of crimes against journalists remain unknown and are in the records of unknown perpetrators until new evidence appears or criminal prosecution expires.

In the territory of the Western Balkans, in the last 30 years during the war, 110 local journalists lost their lives. In times without war, five journalists lost their lives, and three of those five cases were resolved by a final verdict.

Person who threatened journalist Kajtazi sentenced to 5 months in prison (media)

The Basic Court in Pristina has announced a conviction against the accused Driton Dobruna for threatening the journalist Vehbi Kajtazi, sentencing him to 150 days in prison. The verdict was announced today by the Basic Court in Pristina, reported the Oath of Justice.

Judge Dibran Jusufi announced that the accused will be suspended from detention, while his sentence will be executed within 15 days after this verdict becomes final. In the initial review session, on November 1, 2024, the accused Dobruna pleaded guilty to threatening Kajtazi through social media.

Haradinaj: Kurti saved Serbia; playing dangerous games with Association (media)

Several news websites covered an interview that Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) leader Ramush Haradinaj gave to Tirana-based A2CNN, highlighting his claims that with his actions Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti has saved Serbia from being held accountable for the attack in Banjska in September last year. “Serbia has made many destabilising actions, but it was not punished thanks to Kurti. Politically, Kurti is myopic, he doesn’t understand the strategy of geopolitics, or he is serving foreign agendas. His actions have saved Serbia from accountability for the attack in Banjska and for its closeness with Putin’s regime and for all the injustices it continues to do against Kosovo,” he argued. 

Haradinaj said that Kurti accepted the worst possible draft for the Association of Serb-majority municipalities and is now playing dangerous games with the internationals. “The Americans and our allies in the Eu offered Kurti a draft to save Kosovo from any possible consequence from the Association. Kurti did not take that path, but privately accepted the EU draft and praised it. The first ones that expressed concern about the EU draft were the leaders of opposition parties and I. Kurti accepted the worst possible draft for Kosovo. This is a dangerous game,” he said.

Osmani, Kurti congratulates Moldova’s Sandu on second term as president (media)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani congratulated Maia Sandu on winning a second term as President of Moldova. “Dear Maia Sandu, your well-deserved victory yesterday is a powerful testament to the resilience of democracy and the strength of the Moldovan people. Despite relentless attempts by Russia and its proxies to disrupt and destabilise the democratic process, the will of the people has once again prevailed. I look forward to working with you as we continue to build bridges of cooperation and strengthen the bond between our peoples. Mult success!” Osmani said in a post on X.

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti too congratulated Sandu saying that “Kosova welcomes the decision of the Moldovan people to choose a path toward the EU. We admire the strength of the Moldovan people and your leadership in facing the challenges of this election. We look forward to working together toward our shared goal of EU accession.”

Serbian Language Media 

The Milos Subotic case: NGOs from North asked prosecutor's office to announce an investigation against suspended police officers (KoSSev)

Non-governmental organizations from the North of Kosovo asked the Basic Prosecutor's Office in Mitrovica to inform the public about the status of the investigation against suspended police officers due to allegations of police torture following the recent arrest of Mitrovica North resident Milos Subotic, reported KoSSev.

The organisations InTER, NSI, AKTIV, CASA and ACDC said today that this request is based on Article 11.1 of the Law on the Prosecutor, which provides for regular public notification of the prosecution's activities.

They believe that an adequate institutional reaction in such cases also implies an appropriate reaction of judicial institutions, and a quick and fair judicial epilogue.

"Based on previous experience in cases of physical mistreatment of citizens by the police, such as the director of AKTIV, Miodrag Milicevic, and citizen Vladan Stevanovic, where PIK investigations did not result in a prosecutorial epilogue, this time we insist on transparent and timely reporting to the public about the status of the investigation in the case of Milos Subotic, including the classification of the criminal offence and the intention to file the indictment," they say.

They also asked the prosecution to inform them about, as they stated, the reasons for suspending the further investigation against the police officers in the case of Stevanovic, who announced in April that he was allegedly beaten by special forces in the municipality of Zubin Potok, after which confirmation arrived that PIK would start an investigation.

The NGOs are also requesting information on the status of the investigation in the case of the executive director of the NGO Aktiv, who reported back in November 2022 that he was physically and verbally attacked by special forces near the Jarinje crossing.

These organisations claim that the prosecution did not inform Milicevic for months, despite the submitted request.

On the other hand, when it comes to the case of Milos Subotic, civil society from the North claims that the case has been forwarded to the Prosecutor's Office.

"After the Police Inspectorate of Kosovo launched an investigation and suspended two police officers for the purpose of conducting the investigation, the case of Milos Subotic, according to our knowledge, was forwarded to the Prosecutor's Office," they said.

The announcement was signed by - Institute for Territorial Economic Development, New Social Initiative, AKTIV, Center for Affirmative Social Actions, Center for Advocacy of Democratic Culture.

Lawyer Vasic: The hearing of the witness, we demanded the statements he gave to UNMIK and EULEX (Kosovo Online) 

The hearing of the prosecution's witness U.T. in the case of Gavrilo Milosavljevic, charged by the Special Prosecution with an alleged war crime, was interrupted after the defense asked for statements the witness gave to UNMIK and EULEX immediately after the war, reported Kosovo Online. 

"This hearing was interrupted today due to a chronic problem, because the Special Prosecutor's Office in all cases, not only this one, simply refuses to submit all the statements that were taken in the investigations conducted by UNMIK and EULEX. It has become such a chronic problem that I wonder who is hiding these statements, whether the Special Prosecutor's Office or UNMIK and EULEX. We in these defenses have terrible problems in getting to know what these witnesses said immediately after the war when their memories were fresh, and that's why the court interrupted this hearing so that the prosecutor could try to find those statements, so that we can continue the hearing of this witness," said lawyer Dejan A. Vasic.

Witness U. T. spoke today about the events in the prison in Dubrava where he was detained. 

He published two books about the crime in Dubrava. He collected the material, as he said, for ten years. He pointed out that he collected the data mainly from newspapers.

The witness said that he published the names of prisoners and staff of Dubrava prison in his books. In one list, the name of the accused Gavrilo Milosavljevic was published. Today, he delivered the book entitled "Massacre in the prison in Dubrava" to the court and the lawyer of the accused.

He pointed out that in 1998 he was arrested in Prizren.

"Early in the morning on April 30, 1999, they transferred us to the prison in Dubrava," said the witness and added that 80 other prisoners were transferred beside him. He pointed out that the guards mistreated the prisoners when they got off the bus.

As he says, he heard about Milosavljevic when the supervisor called him with "Garo", but at that moment he did not know who he was talking to.

"I found out who he was only when I went to Pozarevac, where I was in pavilion number seven. Then the Red Cross transferred us to another pavilion and there I saw a person whom the guards and prisoners called Garo," said the witness.

The hearing of two more witnesses was scheduled for today.

The Prosecution accuses Milosavljevic of being a participant in the mass murders of prisoners of Albanian nationality in the prison in Dubrava, which took place between May 22, 1999, and May 24, 1999, when 109 prisoners were killed and 108 were wounded.

Milosavljevic was arrested on December 2, 2022. The indictment against him was brought on November 29, 2023. At the hearing held on December 7, 2023, he pleaded not guilty to the charges against him.

Detention of three Serbs arrested in relation to Banjska case extended for two more months (RTS, media)

Detention of three Serbs arrested during and after an armed incident in Banjska in September last year, had been extended for two more months, RTS reported.

Defence lawyer of one of them, Milos Delevic confirmed the news, adding they will file an appeal but is not optimistic it would be accepted. “The defence has prepared an objection to the indictment and evidence that would be submitted within the legal timeframe”, Delevic also said.

Blagoje Spasojevic, Dusan Maksimovic and Vladimir Tolic were arrested in September last year in Banjska. Their trial started on October 9 in Pristina. Maksimovic pleaded not guilty to the charges, while Spasojevic and Tolic refused to enter a plea. 

Savic: Kosovo in CEFTA with ban on Serbian goods being partially lifted (Kosovo Online)

Zoran Savic from the NGO Aktiv told Kosovo Online that, although the Kosovo government partially lifted the ban on the import of Serbian goods almost a month ago, the goods in stores in the north are the same as before the lifting of the ban, and that Kosovo has been rewarded because now it represents itself in CEFTA. 

"It's a paradox that happened. Kosovo was rewarded for a decision it made a year ago, which was in direct opposition to CEFTA, and after a year it only partially repealed it. The problem is also the narrative that has been served for years, first by the Kosovo government and the highest Kosovo officials and a campaign that has been going on for years against Serbian products. There were even protests in Pristina, to literally avoid Serbian goods, which is also in total contradiction with the CEFTA agreement," said Savic.

The most scandalous of all, as he believes, is that the decision to ban the import of Serbian goods was made verbally and that the document on the introduction of the ban and its abolition does not exist even today.

"The media reports that the convoy of trucks at Merdare is huge, that the goods still do not pass, according to the drivers' testimony, the trucks are waiting for 4 to 5 days. The huge problem is that the decision to lift the ban was only for the Merdare crossing. How much time has passed since that decision, and there is still no flow of goods at other crossings, they supposedly wait for scanners from Germany, and Kosovo was rewarded with representing itself in CEFTA," concluded Savic.

Serbian products slowly making their way to central Kosovo, buyers and sellers disappointed by quantity (Kosovo Online)

Almost a month after Pristina decided to allow imports of Serbian goods through the Merdare crossing with manual inspection, products from central Serbia are barely reaching predominantly Serbian areas in Kosovo. Residents of central Kosovo, whom the Kosovo Online portal team spoke with, said they had seen a few Serbian products in some stores, but only a limited number of items. Sellers hope that imports will soon be allowed through other crossings, making it easier for goods to reach customers.

Since October 7, when Pristina replaced its "security measure" on Serbian ready-made goods import with a new rule allowing Serbian goods to enter only through Merdare with enhanced inspections, the situation hasn't changed much. Apart from long queues at the crossing and long waits for trucks to deliver goods, store shelves are still largely stocked with products from the region, with only an occasional Serbian item here and there.

Read more at: https://shorturl.at/nPd0n

Radovanovic: International factor to check whether agreement on lifting ban on Serbian goods is ‘deceit’ (Kosovo Online)

Manager at the Regional Cooperation Centre of Serbian Chamber of Commerce Aleksandar Radovanovic told Kosovo Online although the ban on importing ready-made products from central Serbia has been formally abolished, an international factor should verify if the agreement on lifting the ban is a deceit. 

“The behaviour of Kosovo customs which interrupts work for two days and the trucks waiting for two days (as a consequence of the work interuption) in order to have customs procedure implemented has a demotivating effect on business people on both sides. Such attitude of Kosovo customs, unfortunately does not reflect CEFTA attitude, what green corridors are about, or the agreement with the international factor”, he said.

As he said, prior to the ban, around 250 trucks daily were entering Kosovo at Merdare crossing point.

“Since the ban on import is lifted, the percentage is much smaller, given that Kosovo customs interrupt the work and not a single truck passes Merdare for two days. It happened that earlier 30 to 40 trucks from central Serbia with Kosovo as a final destination were passing daily, so the situation now when it comes to flow of goods is very difficult and troublesome for all, for both sides. Primarily for transporters who do not want to take over the goods from producers and those making orders because they lose five days to transport the goods to the Kosovo market”, he said.

Institute for Public Health: The water in Lake Gracanica still not drinkable (Kosovo Online, KoSSev, KiM radio)

The Institute for Public Health of Kosovo announced that the water in Gracanica Lake is still not suitable for drinking, reported Kosovo Online, citing Reporteri. 

The announcement states that the Institute, in cooperation with the Regional Water Supply Company "Pristina", will continue regular monitoring.

"The National Institute for Public Health of Kosovo has continued monitoring the drinking water coming from Gracanica Lake. The water in the entire supply area from the Gracanica Lake cannot yet be used for drinking. The Institute in cooperation with the Regional Waterworks "Pristina" will continue with regular water monitoring, and the population will be informed," the announcement read.

EU Ambassador: Best prospects for Western Balkans (N1)

European Union Ambassador Emanule Giaufret said on Monday that the Union offers the best prospects for the Western Balkans, N1 reported.

According to the EU Delegation chief, the EU is the best perspective for the Western Balkans in terms of peace and prosperity as long as membership in the EU is achievable. He told a conference of Stabilization and Association Process member country parliamentary committees at the Serbian Parliament that those countries need to combine forces. He said that the EU cooperates with all key players in each country with parliament playing an important role.

He said the countries of the Western Balkans need to realise that the recent progress reports are a tool to help speed up reforms. We will continue supporting the Western Balkans politically and financially, Giaufret said.

26 individuals questioned over Novi Sad tragedy (N1, media)

In connection with the tragic incident that occurred on November 1 in Novi Sad, when part of the Novi Sad Railway Station collapsed, the Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Novi Sad announced that 26 individuals were questioned on Saturday. Among those questioned were the Minister of Construction, Transport, and Infrastructure, the director of the City of Novi Sad's Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments, as well as responsible individuals from "Serbian Railways" AD, "Infrastructure Railways of Serbia" AD, and those responsible for carrying out the works.

According to the statement, documentation from the Ministry of Construction, Transport, and Infrastructure has been seized and will be handed over to experts for further action. Today, questioning of 14 more individuals has been ordered.

“Further intensive work continues to determine all significant elements of the criminal offences and the criminal responsibility of individuals, about which the public will be timely informed,“ they stated. On Friday, the canopy at the entrance to the Novi Sad Railway Station collapsed, killing 14 people, while three injured individuals remain in serious condition.

The Novi Sad Railway Station was renovated twice in the past four years. The first renovation took place between 2021 and 2022, and after a few months, additional works began on the same building. The station was officially reopened on July 5 this year.