The OSCE Mission in Kosovo commends Kosovo Police for identifying the perpetrator of the latest act of vandalism on the memorial plaque of journalis

The OSCE Mission in Kosovo condemns the latest act of vandalism on the memorial plaque of journalists Đuro Slavuj and Ranko Perenić in Velika Hoca/Hoçë e Madhe in Rahovec/Orahovac.

In June 2018, together with the Association of Journalists of Serbia registered in Kosovo and a group of journalists, the OSCE Mission participated in a ceremony to unveil the memorial plaque commemorating the two journalists that went missing in 1998 and were last seen on that site. saddened to read that the plaque has been removed and destroyed for the seventh time in the past five years.

Serbian Government Office for Kosovo and Metohija Deputy Director Dusan Kozarev met with the Head of OSCE Mission in Kosovo, Ambassador Jan Braathu yesterday, and informed him about everyday problems Serbs in Kosovo are facing, in particular about the difficulties caused by the trade blockade on goods from central Serbia, Danas daily reports.

The OSCE Mission in Kosovo warned on Monday that the people who orchestrated the murder of Kosovo Serb political leader Oliver Ivanovic are still at large.

“Six months after Oliver Ivanović’s assassination, the culprits remain at large and little is publicly known regarding any possible progress in the investigation,” the OSCE Mission wrote in a Facebook post.

It called law enforcement agencies to invest efforts to solve the murder, calling it a test of the rule of law in Kosovo.

Political Advisor to the Minister of Infrastructure Fatos Mani told Pristina based daily Gazeta Express that the works on the route to Plav continue with avoiding the protected area around the monastery. According to him, the opposition of the monastery to the construction of the road has a political character, writes today portal Kossev.

"Journalists’ Association of Serbia (UNS) has done great job in investigations of murders and abductions of the journalists on the territory of Kosovo and Metohija"

Chairman of the Commission for Investigating Murder of Journalists Veran Matic had announced the possibility of establishing this commission on Kosovo, with the aim of resolving the killings and abductions of 14 journalists and media workers in osovo and Metohija (KiM) from 1998 until 2005.

“Murder of Oliver Ivanovic is a great challenge for Kosovo society and a strong slap to the Kosovo Government, and to all of us who live in Kosovo,” Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs Milan Radojevic said in a debate on the rule of law held in Caglavica today, KIM Radio reports.

Radojevic assessed the murder as a great challenge for Kosovo but also for the international community.

Center for Security Studies Director, Florian Qehaja also thinks the Kosovo Government bears part of the responsibility.

Serbian Government Office for Kosovo Director, Marko Djuric and Head of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, Ambassador Jan Braathu agreed yesterday it is necessary to continue resolution of all open issues in Kosovo with dialogue, KIM Radio reported.

Referring to the Office for KiM press statement, KIM radio further said, Djuric and Braathu discussed the current security and political situation in Kosovo and touched upon recently held local elections.

“We hope the elections would run peacefully and regularly,” said the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, that would have its members present in the four northern municipalities in Kosovo, RTV KiM reported.

The OSCE Mission in Kosovo would have 220 people present in the four northern municipalities of Mitrovica North, Zvecan, Zubin Potok and Leposavic, OSCE Spokesperson, Senad Sabovic said to RTV KiM.

“The framework and the format would remain the same as in June 2017. Everything is ready from our side, all technical preparations and training of the personnel were done,” he added.

The OSCE Mission in Kosovo in cooperation with the German government, launched today the second project on strengthening capacities of Kosovo institutions in fighting serious corruption “Development of capacities of Kosovo agencies and Special Prosecution in fighting corruption of the high level.”