A hand grenade was thrown at the home of the head of Kosovo's state broadcaster RTK, police said on Monday, the second incident in a week to target the TV channel or its executives.
Police said in a statement that no injuries were reported and no perpetrator found following the incident in a suburb of the capital Pristina at around 10 p.m. (2000 GMT) on Sunday.
The so-called “Rugovasit” group has taken over responsibility for the hand grenade attack which occurred last night at 22:00 at the house of the Director of Kosovo’s Radio Television, Mentor Shala.
They informed through a press release that the last night’s attack was only a warning and accused Shala for taking only the government’s side.
The Kosovo Government issued a press release today strongly condemning Sunday's attack with an explosive device on the house of the director of the Radio Television of Kosovo (RTK), Mentor Shala. “This criminal act is a direct attack on the freedom of the media in Kosovo. These are efforts to impede the freedom of speech, one of the most important values of Kosovar society. The Kosovo Government calls on the competent authorities to resolve this case and bring the perpetrators to justice in order to prevent such attacks from happening in the future.
Most media report that the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) has condemned Sunday’s attack on the house of RTK Director Mentor Shala. AAK parliamentary group chief, Pal Lekaj, said the attack is unacceptable. “It is not in Albanian tradition to attack the family regardless of the reasons. The family is sacred! The situation however becomes even more unbearable given that this is the fourth incident of its kind and law enforcement authorities don’t even have an investigation course.
The Association of Journalists in Kosovo and Metohija yesterday condemned the attack with explosive device at premises of a public broadcaster RTK and called authorities to find and punish the perpetrators.
The attack on the building RTK is a red light for the police and all security structures, says Branimir Stojanović and adds that it is important to find the perpetrators "in order to forestall the creation of an atmosphere in which journalists cannot do their job."
Kosovo Deputy Prime Minister Branimir Stojanović says that "overall security" in Kosovo is not at satisfactory level.
The Head of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, Jean-Claude Schlumberger, and the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Dunja Mijatović, today condemned last night’s attack on the premises of Radio Television Kosovo (RTK) in Pristina. “I am appalled by the attack on RTK, particularly at the time when there were still people working inside the building. This appears to be an act of intimidation and I condemn it in the strongest terms. It’s an attack on an important public institution and on freedom of expression,” said Ambassador Schlumberger.
USRThe EU Office in Kosovo/EU Special Representative through a press statement condemned last night's attach on the premises of the public broadcaster RTK. "The RTK is an important national institution established by and for the people of Kosovo. An attack against it is a threat to the freedom of expression and to the interests of the people of Kosovo. The EU Office in Kosovo/EU Special Representative expresses concern over this already second armed attack on a public institution over the last few weeks.
The Vetëvendosje Movement through a press release commented on the attack on the premises of the public broadcaster RTK on Monday night. “With the attempt to connect Vetëvendosje with last night’s attack on RTK, the management of this medium only confirmed that the RTK has become classic government propaganda. Last night's attack against RTK cannot be justified in any way, not because the RTK symbolize free speech, but because we do not think that such bomb attacks help any cause in Kosovo.
Kosovo President Hashim Thaçi through a press statement condemned the attack on the premises of the public broadcaster RTK on Monday night. He said the attack on RTK is an attack against freedom of speech. “I call on all representatives of political parties to protect the freedom of speech. I also urge the relevant authorities to find the perpetrators of this ugly act and bring them to justice,” Thaçi said.