Five Kosovars arrested by Serbia in 17 days

• Five Kosovars arrested by Serbia in 17 days (Koha Ditore)
• Opposition: Extraordinary session on the north, has lost emergency (Koha)
• AAK’s movements (Express)
• They have misinterpreted us (Express)

Kosovo Media Highlights


Five Kosovars arrested by Serbia in 17 days (Koha Ditore)
Koha Ditore reports on the front page that on Saturday Serbian authorities arrested another Kosovar Albanian – Mark Koshnjeti – thus taking to five the number of Kosovar Albanians arrested in the last 17 days. Koshnjeti was arrested at the border crossing point of Merdare and Serbian Interior Minister Ivica Dacic said he is suspected of committing war crimes in the 1990s in Kosovo.

Meanwhile, Kosovo’s Interior Minister Bajram Rexhepi said the arrest was political. “I just found about Koshnjeti’s arrest and the reactions are the same as in other cases and we have reacted with Interpol through EULEX. These are political arrests,” Rexhepi was quoted as saying.

Baki Kelani, spokesman for Kosovo Police, told the paper, “We have unofficial information about the arrest and we are trying through internationals, EULEX, and the remaining part of UNMIK, to get official information about the case”.

Opposition: Extraordinary session on the north, has lost emergency (Koha Ditore)
According to some parliamentary parties, the extraordinary session for the north, has lost its emergency that it used to have, while gathering of the signatures from PDK parliamentary group after Vetëvendosje’s failure, is a political game. Without a prior resolution, PDK Parliamentary Group has collected required signatures for an extraordinary session on the north, which is expected to take place on Wednesday.

According to Vetëvendosje, Wednesday’s session is delayed. Visar Ymeri, head of Vetëvendosje parliamentary group, said that PDK’s collection of signatures for the session, is a political game. He also considered that the fact that the Prime Minister Thaçi did not interrupt his visit in the United States, is an irresponsibility.
After stating that they consider Prime Minister’s presence at the session necessary, LDK representatives claimed that they would participate at the session, however, they would not sign PDK list. AAK expects concrete results from the session, reports Koha Ditore.

AAK’s movements (Express)
The paper reports that the opposition AAK has expressed readiness to cooperate with the Government of Kosovo in national agendas. The party refused to sign petition for extraordinary session of the Assembly about the situation in the north initiated by Vetëvendosje but did sign it when the request was presented by the ruling PDK. Head of PDK parliamentary group Adem Grabovci said the petition includes signatures from AAK MPs but did not say how many of them actually signed it.

The paper writes that the joining of votes between AAK and PDK MPs at a time when the first refused to sign the same petition with Vetëvendosje reinforces the idea that AAK is getting closer to PDK. AAK officials however deny this to be the case. “On the contrary, AAK is clearer in its views against this bad government and we have said that the situation in the north is a result of this poor governance,” said Burim Ramadani.

They have misinterpreted us (Express)
Express reports that the announcements of Deputy Prime Minister Hajredin Kuçi in a television interview that Kosovo authorities could intervene in northern part of Kosovo to establish rule of law through a similar action with that of 25 July are considered as misinterpretation by Kosovo Government officials. Regardless from the fact that Kuçi announced it in explicit manner, Kosovo Interior Minister Bajram Rexhepi said for Express that there was no direct announcement for the intervention in north Mitrovica. “There has been no direct announcement. There will be intervention if there is needed and it will be coordinated”, said Rexhepi.

According to Rexhepi, media are those who took the words of Deputy Prime Minister Kuçi out of context. “Kuçi did not say directly that there will be an intervention. Well now you are taking it out of context, because there has not been any direct announcement for the intervention”, added Rexhepi.

Disclaimer
This media summary consists of selected local media articles for the information of UN personnel. The public distribution of this media summary is a courtesy service extended by UNMIK on the understanding that the choice of articles translated is exclusive, and the contents do not represent anything other than a selection of articles likely to be of interest to a United Nations readership. The inclusion of articles in this summary does not imply endorsement by UNMIK.