Tag: Kosovo

This training brought together judges and prosecutors, aiming at strengthen their professional capacities in identifying, prosecuting, and adjudicating terrorism-related offenses and enhancing their understanding of the evolving dynamics of violent extremism in Kosovo and the broader region, with a particular focus on right-wing and religious extremism.

The program was led by a distinguished group of experts, including Supreme Court Judge Burim Ademi, Basic Court Judge Valon Kurtaj, Special Prosecution Office Prosecutor Naim Abazi, and senior officials from the Kosovo Police, including Mensur Hoti, Fatos Makolli, and Nexhdet Haxhaj.

The start of the training was focused on the strategic objectives of Kosovo’s counter-terrorism efforts, presented by National Coordinator Mensur Hoti, followed by a documentary screening on right-wing extremism in Kosovo and a discussion moderated by Kreshnik Gashi.

Day two focused on the legal framework addressing violent extremism, an in-depth analysis of far-right extremism and its manifestation in public incidents, and a practical group exercise to analyze the push and pull factors behind radicalization.

On the third day, participants examined the overlap between terrorism and other criminal offenses and attended case studies on the spread of religious extremism and recruitment tactics in Kosovo.

The final day addressed investigative techniques and the use of alternative sentencing for cases regarding terrorism and identifying signs of extremism during the investigative phase. Participants were also presented with alternative sanctions and the sentencing process in terrorism trials, including the role of pre-sentencing reports. The training concluded with a discussion on the use of social media in spreading extremism and the balance between strategic communication and personal data protection.

By combining legal analysis, real case presentations, documentary screenings, and group exercises, the training provided a comprehensive and interactive environment for enhancing cross-sectoral collaboration in Kosovo’s response to violent extremism and terrorism.

This training was attended by 31 participants, including 14 women. The participants have actively engaged in this training by sharing experiences and asking questions on how to effectively deal with terrorism and violent extremism.

The training was part of the ‘Resilient and Inclusive Community Programme’ funded by GCERF, through ATRC and implemented by BIRN Kosovo.

Deadline for applications: 11:59 CET, May 11, 2025.

BIRN Kosovo has the honor of notifying all interested parties of the opening of the Call for Proposals to implement sub-grants in the scope of the EU-funded project entitled “Strengthen the Role and Capacities of Investigative Journalism in Kosovo”.

This Call for Proposals aims to provide opportunities for the public broadcaster, national and local televised media and online media who operate and work in Kosovo to implement actions that aim to produce new content for their respective media. The project seeks to develop independent, investigative, impartial, unbiased and publicly beneficial journalism, and equip the beneficiaries with the required skills and resources to implement creative, investigative, legally sound and publicly beneficial journalism.

This Call for Proposals contains one lot:

LOT I: The production of new content through investigative and analytical reporting that covers topics such as human rights, gender equality and gender-sensitive reporting, disinformation, good governance, rule of law, public procurement, employment, education and health — including priorities listed in the ERA II strategy.

Applications MUST be sent by email to [email protected] by 23:59 CET on May 11, 2025.

All applications must be prepared and submitted in either the Albanian, Serbian, or English languages.

Application document in Albanian

Application document in Serbian

Application document in English

Kosovo’s 2025 parliamentary election campaign was marred by unprecedented hate speech and disinformation from local and foreign actors, raising concerns about the integrity of future elections unless significant action is taken, a new BIRN report, launched on Wednesday, concluded.

Kreshnik Gashi, editor-in-chief of BIRN and Internews Kosova’s co-publication KALLXO.com, said one of the issues identified was the “usage of Russian techniques, also known as techniques of dehumanising in elections – a trend on the rise in the recent years, which unfortunately was used in the last elections in Kosovo”.

As examples, he noted how political opponents were routinely compared to animals or branded as “mentally incompetent” or “Serbian spies”.

The report, “Hate Speech and Disinformation During the 2025 Election in Kosovo”, produced with the support of the European Union Office in Kosovo, monitored 20 television and radio stations, including two Belgrade-based and two Tirana-based media outlets, as well as reviewing over 4,000 online publications, examining the prevalence of hate speech and disinformation.

Many media provided a platform for unverified, sensationalist and spurious allegations that often went unchallenged, the report concluded.

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani, in a speech at the launch of the report, said: “Without the truth we cannot have a genuine democracy. Without truth, our decision making becomes uncertain, trust among citizens and institutions weakens and above all the space for disinformation and manipulation is expanded.”

The head of EU office in Kosovo, Aivo Orav, warned that “disinformation is more than a deceptive context, it is a direct threat to democracy”.

During a panel discussion, Brikenda Rexhepi, editor-in-chief of local Kosovo media outlet Koha, said a positive point is that Kosovo continues to have freedom of speech, adding: “Although certain media reported in favour of particular political parties, there were also media which reported accurately.”

The February 9 elections were conducted in a peaceful and competitive manner and saw a slight increase in the number of seats held by women in parliament.

But the campaign was accompanied by hate speech, disinformation and divisive narratives, in some cases using Artificial Intelligence, AI, and disproportionately targeting women.

Kosovo’s Election Complaints and Appeals Panel, ECAP, found political parties responsible for 30 incidents of hate speech in the campaign.

However, as Gashi explained on Wednesday, this did not result in the removal of the offending content from the parties’ or specific politicians’ websites and digital platforms. “On election day alone [February 9], fact-checkers identified at least 100 cases of disinformation,” Gashi recalled.

The report found that during the election campaign, local and foreign actors, mainly in Serbia and Russia, increased disinformation related to inter-ethnic violence and a possible Serbia-Kosovo war.

Russia, in particular, pushed a narrative that incumbent Prime Minister Albin Kurti was planning the ethnic cleansing of Kosovo Serbs with the support of the West. Moscow also amplified Serbia’s attacks on Kosovo Serbs who chose to run against the Belgrade-backed Srpska Lista party.

BIRN concluded that the authorities are currently unable to tackle disinformation and so safeguard the right of voters to make a free and informed choice when picking their elected representatives.

The report recommends empowering electoral and media oversight bodies to tackle hate speech. It calls also for regulation of the use of AI and improved transparency on campaign spending.

The publication event, supported by the European Union in Kosovo, gathered 93 participants, out of whom 54 were women.

The film, The Impact of Money Laundering on Poverty, produced by BIRN Kosovo and authored by KALLXO.com’s editor-in-chief, Kreshnik Gashi, brought together more than 60 participants from Kosovo’s top institutions, international organisations and civil society.

High-level figures, including the Governor of the Central Bank, the Director of the Tax Administration, the Chief Prosecutor of the Special Prosecution Office, and representatives from embassies, EULEX, the EU Office and judicial institutions, watched the unveiling of a documentary that connects financial crime to real-world social costs: poverty, weakened institutions and worsening income disparity.

In opening remarks, BIRN Kosovo’s Executive Director, Jeta Xharra, stressed that tackling money laundering is key to protecting democracy in the region.

“Democracy is still in the process of consolidation. If illicit money continues to influence politics and the economy, true democratic governance remains out of reach,” Xharra said.

Kosovo’s outgoing Minister of Justice, Albulena Haxhiu, addressed the government’s ongoing battle against corruption, while Acting Chief State Prosecutor Besim Kelmendi warned about the daily impact of financial crime.

“The fight against corruption and organised crime is a battle for our future and we agree that corruption strikes at the foundations of our state,” he declared.

The premiere concluded with closing remarks from Kreshnik Gashi, who emphasized that the documentary is not just a media product but a call to action.

“The documentary shows that citizens have been forced to emigrate because crime destroyed their businesses. Citizens are having a hard time buying apartments and building houses, not because they are lazy but because money laundering has increased their prices,” Gashi said.

The 50-minute film features exclusive interviews with 12 experts, including prosecutors, financial investigators, tax and customs officials, academics and journalists from Kosovo, Albania and Montenegro.

Drawing on their insights, it exposes the systemic enablers of money laundering and how it exacerbates poverty and social inequality in the region.

From real estate fraud to shell companies and criminal enterprises operating across borders, the film paints a disturbing picture of how dirty money infiltrates legitimate economies, inflating prices and pushing average citizens to the margins.

After the premiere, attendees gathered to reflect on how the film should serve as a wake-up call and a tool for advocacy in the fight against financial crime.

As the Western Balkans continues to face challenges linked to transparency, governance and socio-economic inequality, the launch of the documentary marks a pivotal moment in using journalism and storytelling to push for institutional accountability and reform.

The documentary was produced with the support of the British embassy as part of the project “Mass Education of Kosovo Citizens on the Consequences of Money Laundering, Types of Money Laundering, and Institutional Challenges in Combating Money Laundering”.

The training addressed various facets of terrorism, exploring different manifestations of violent extremism. It then progressed to discussing the strategic goals outlined in the Strategy.

Labinot Leposhtica, the Legal Office and Monitoring Coordinator at BIRN Kosovo and member of the Working Group for the National Strategy for Preventing and Countering Terrorism, emphasized the crucial role local communities play in combating extremism and terrorism. He underscored the pressing need for the strategy to be effectively implemented at the local level.

Milot Sfishta, a representative from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, highlighted the vital role that local authorities play in achieving the goals of the Strategy.

The event provided a detailed presentation of the situation concerning returnees, underlining the significance of local involvement in the overall process.

During the training, participants discussed the challenges of preventing terrorism and violent extremism in Kosovo. They emphasized the importance of early identification—whether of potential radical behavior or childhood aggression—as a key to effective prevention. They also highlighted the need for context-specific strategies, cautioning against directly copying models from other countries without adapting them to local realities.

The one-day workshop, which is part of the ‘Resilient and Inclusive Community Programme’ funded by GCERF, had 12 participants, 5 of whom were women.

During the workshop, the attendees were engaged and expressed their opinions that such workshops are very important for them as a referral mechanism to be more informed on P/VE, R&R, and other forms of extremism so that they can exercise those in the Municipality of Junik.

Nearly 80 participants have so far responded to the invitation to attend three workshops held on February 24 in Pristina, on February 27 in Ferizaj and on February 28 in Gjilan – together with all the municipalities included in these three large regions.

In the coming weeks, workshops will continue in the municipalities of Prizren, Mitrovica, Peja and Gjakova.

For the development of the workshops, BIRN Kosovo has engaged Haxhi Gashi, a senior legal expert.

In parallel, BIRN Kosovo started trainings with municipal cadastral officials in early February to build the capacities of the Cadastral Offices. Xhevat Azemi, a legal expert, and Drenushë Jonuzi Kukaj, a cadastre specialist, led trainings in Prishtina, Ferizaj, Gjilan and Graçanica – inviting officials who are from the Serbian community – and in Gjakova.

The purpose of the trainings and workshops is to build the capacities of the Cadastral Offices, notaries, bailiffs, mediators, lawyers and ultimately judges.

This activity is part of the Public Information and Awareness Services for Vulnerable Communities in Kosovo PIAKOS project, in which BIRN acts as a co-implementing party.

The project is financed by the World Bank/State and Peace Building Trust Fund.

 

Balkan Investigative Reporting Network, BIRN, in Kosovo published the monitoring report, “Challenges of Rehabilitation, Reintegration & Disengagement from Terrorism in Kosovo”, presenting Kosovo’s commitment to preventing and combating terrorism.

The report highlights that many individuals convicted of terrorism-related offences do not attend rehabilitation programmes, as the law does not require them to do so.

Speakers were: Albulena Haxhiu, Minister of Justice; Mensur Hoti, director of the Department for Public Security at the Ministry of Interior,  Kreshnik Gashi, editor-in-Chief of KALLXO.com; and Labinot Leposhtica.

Gashi pointed out that although Kosovo is considered a model for rehabilitation and reintegration, the lack of a legal obligation to attend these programmes and the rise of right-wing extremism pose serious challenges.

Minister of Justice Haxhiu acknowledged that the absence of a legal framework mandating convicted individuals to participate in rehabilitation programmes is a concern, and said legal amendments are being considered to address this issue.

Mensur Hoti said the lack of mandatory rehabilitation increases the risk of re-radicalization and the return of individuals to illegal activities after their release.

The author of the analysis, Labinot Leposhtica, emphasized that only 29 convicted individuals have attended rehabilitation programmes while in correctional institutions and stressed the need for a legal basis to make participation mandatory.

“These subjects need specific treatment in order to let go the narratives based on which they committed those acts, and the penal code does not make this possible,” he added.

The 48 participants at the event included individuals from both central and local levels, experts, representatives from diplomatic missions, members of religious communities, practitioners in the field, and media representatives. Of the 48 participants, 30 were women.

The report is accessible online:

📌 Albanian: https://bit.ly/4bkDxqE

📌 Serbian: https://bit.ly/43c0yKv

📌 English: https://bit.ly/4hZF3Ru

This activity is part of the “Resilient and Inclusive Community Programme”, funded by GCERF.

The training session addressed various topics, including an overview of terrorism and various forms of violent extremism. It also focused on the strategic objectives outlined in the National Strategy. Labinot Leposhtica, the Legal Office and Monitoring Coordinator at BIRN Kosovo and a member of the Working Group for the National Strategy for Preventing and Countering Terrorism emphasized the importance of engaging local communities in efforts to combat extremism and terrorism. He underscored the necessity of implementing the strategy at the local level.

The representative from the Ministry of Internal Affairs Milot Sfishta underscored the vital role of local authorities in achieving the strategy’s goals. During a detailed presentation, he provided an overview of the current situation regarding returnees and emphasized the significant role that local-level initiatives play in the overall process.

A total of 16 participants attended the training, 10 of whom were women. This group reflected a diverse mix of municipal representatives and staff members from the Municipality of Vushtrri.

By the conclusion of the training, participants were left with a deeper understanding of the national strategy as well as an increased awareness of their responsibilities as public servants. This training is aimed at serving a safer and more resilient community, better prepared to face the realities of violent extremism.

The event was part of the ‘Resilient and Inclusive Community Programme’, which is funded by the Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund (GCERF).