The Kosovo-based Council for Defence of Human Rights and Freedoms (CDHRF) has called on Kosovo authorities to investigate the death of one of the detainees at the Lipjan detention facility. The detainee, Naser Makolli, was a former cellmate of Vetevendosje activist, Astrit Dehari, who also died whilst in detention. CDHRF said it had interviewed Makolli several months ago as a witness in Dehari’s death but he never complained of any medical issues. CDHRF said Makolli’s death is very concerning and calls for speedy and professional investigation.

U.S. Senator and Chairman of the Senate Committee on Armed Services, John McCain is expected to visit Kosovo on 13 April, sources told Klan Kosova. It is not yet known who the U.S. Senator will meet during his visit but some of the topics expected to be discussed will include the security situation in Kosovo as well as the election of Aleksandar Vucic to the post of Serbian president.

Klan Kosova reports that there is a large interest of Serb voters to take part in Serbian presidential elections at the polling stations opened across Kosovo and that at the largest polling station, the technical high school in Mitrovica North, uniformed men were seen monitoring the voting process. These men are reported to be wearing black uniforms with the Serbian flag sign on their sleeves.

Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General, Zahir Tanin, has closely followed Wednesday’s developments in Kosovo with concern, in particular reports that freedom of movement and association were prevented in some places. Tanin reminded all parties on the fundamental rights to assemble, to express opinions, and to vote in an open and democratic society, and trusts that these rights will continue to be defended by the authorities, a statement issued by UNMIK reads.

Nenad Rasic, Kosovo Assembly MP from the Serbian List, said today that the dialogue with Serbia should not be interrupted, because this would block things even more. “I feel your pain but it is not being done enough by both sides to understand each other. The dialogue process is something that will continue. “ Rasic made these comments during a round-table organized by Kosovo’s Democratic Institute entitled “Suspension of Dialogue: Impact on Kosovo’s integration in the European Union.”

Deputy President of the Assembly of Kosovo, Xhavit Haliti, said that ‘we as MPs called on the Serbian List to return.”

“This is the Parliament of Kosovo and they are its members, they should be defending the rights of the citizens who voted them,” Haliti said after the meeting of the Assembly presidency, where the leader of the Serbian List, Slavko Simic, was also present.

Slavko Simic, leader of the Serbian List which today decided to end its six-month boycott of Kosovo institutions, said at the meeting of the Kosovo Assembly presidency that they are ready to vote in favour of the border demarcation agreement with Montenegro. This, said Simic, would be done “for the sake of the citizens so that they don’t remain isolated.”

Head of the EU Office in Kosovo/EU Special Representative, Nataliya Apostolova, in an op-ed on the 60th anniversary of the Treaties of Rome considered as the first step towards a united Europe, said that this time is an opportunity “not only to reaffirm our commitment to the values and objectives on which the European project is founded but also to take pragmatic and ambitious steps forward.” With regards to Kosovo, Apostolova reconfirmed the EU position that Kosovo has a clear European perspective but stressed that this venture requires improved rule of law, st

Kosovo’s Internal Affairs Minister, Skender Hyseni, said today he was hopeful of Kosovo gaining membership in Interpol by the end of the year. Hyseni made the remarks at the signing of an agreement with European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Training (CEPOL) at the Kosovo Academy for Public Safety in Vushtrri/Vucitrn.

The initiative of the Kosovo President Hashim Thaci for transformation of the Kosovo Security Force (KSF) into a Kosovo army has raised concerns with Germany. “We are disappointed that the proposal was not discussed in advance with Kosovo partners in NATO and other relevant actors. We are concerned because the proposal endangers Kosovo’s cooperation with NATO and hinders normalisation dialogue,” the German Embassy said in a written response to Klan Kosova.