KOSOVO NEWS 06

EULEX agrees that crime is a major problem in Kosovo (Koha Ditore)

Koha Ditore reports that the EULEX Mission has agreed that crime is a major problem in Kosovo, and has said that EULEX officials are aware of the criticisms and dissatisfaction of civil society with the mission’s work. Established in Kosovo more than a year ago, EULEX has not made any serious arrests related to corruption or organized crime, even though many international reports confirm the presence of these phenomena in Kosovo, the daily reports. Recently, U.S. Ambassador to Kosovo Christopher Dell also spoke of the presence of corruption and malfunctions in the rule of law in Kosovo. However, according to Kosovo Government spokesperson Memli Krasniqi, the war ont corruption is among the Government’s top priorities. “The difference between this Government and the previous ones is that we are fighting corruption and organized crime, while the others co-existed with them,” said Krasniqi. When asked whether Kosovo is a criminal state, EULEX spokesperson Nicholas Hawton said that there is no doubt that crime is a major problem that Kosovo faces. “This is why EULEX was established in Kosovo, to monitor and help local authorities to combat crime,” said Hawton.
Court employees request to return to work in the north (Koha Ditore)

Koha Ditore reports that approximately 100 court employees have requested to be returned to their regular place of work, in prosecution and court facilities in northern Kosovo. The employees protested Saturday, two years after they were forced to stop working in these institutions due to protests by Serb employees a few days after the declaration of independence. Protesters marched from “Liberty Square” to the Ibër bridge. According to the leader of the Organizing Council, Riza Istrefi, all Kosovo courts have expressed their solidarity with the protesters, and each sent a representative to the protest.
Politicization of a grave (Express)

Express reports that political war between Serbs and Albanians is not over yet but in the contrary, even the dead are becoming part of it. A grave of a Serb female in Gjilan has been opened, and even though it is believed that demolition happened for material profiting, the Police has still not identified the perpetrators. Vandalism at the grave of Zivka Jovanovic has been harshly condemned by Kosovar and international representatives, however, officials of the parallel structures in the north have used this case to reiterate that Serbs are being endangered by Albanians . “Opening of the grave is a clear message that Serbs cannot burry their dead in Gjilan,” said Dragan Nikolic, who presents himself as the chief of Anamorava District, reports Express.