Balkan Investigative Reporting Network
Deniz is a cameraman and video editor for Kallxo.com and the BIRN TV programmes Life in Kosovo and Justice in Kosovo.
Deniz has been working in media production since his youth. Before joining BIRN in 2013, Deniz worked for Foto Canon and Top Kosova TV as a video editor.
Deniz is currently studying communications and production at AAB-RIINVEST University.
Behar Mustafa is a court monitor and researcher working in the Mitrovica region and contributes as a journalist to the TV programme Justice in Kosovo.
Before joining BIRN in 2014, he worked in various NGOs and media outlets, including the daily newspaper Koha Ditore, where he served as Vushtrri correspondent, and Kosova Channel in Mitrovica.
Behar has a BA degree in law and is currently pursuing his Master’s degree.
Durim Shala is an Assistant Producer / Cameraman and Editor for Life in Kosovo and Justice in Kosovo.
Durim’s main responsibilities are recording and editing videos for Life in Kosovo and Justice in Kosovo TV programmes. Additionally,
Durim records Kosovo Police operations that are shown on the “Police” segment of Justice in Kosovo.
Durim joined BIRN in 2013. He is pursuing his BA degree in Marketing from University of Prishtina.
Rrahman Ramaj is a financial analyst for BIRN Kosovo.
He monitors public spending by analysing procurement contracts and audit reports of municipalities across Kosovo , and monitoring of procurement offices.
Rrahman, who joined BIRN in 2014, is the co-author of a report on public procurement, titled, ,Hidden Tenders”, published in February 2015.
Rrahman holds a BA in Finance and Accounting from the University of Prishtina, where he is currently pursuing his master’s degree in Management and IT.
Perparim Isufi joined BIRN Kosovo in May 2014 and currently serves as the managing editor of KALLXO.com.
He edits and writes news, analyses and investigations for KALLXO.com and Gazeta Jeta në Kosovvë.
Isufi has been working in journalism for 12 years at several outlets in Kosovo. He also spent more than three years as a Press Assistant at the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, where he maintained contacts with Kosovo media.
He studied political science at the University of Prishtina.
BIRN Kosovo monitoring of public procurement for 2014.
Please click to download BIRN Kosovo’s click to download BIRN Kosovo’s monitoring of public procurement for 2014.
BIRN Journalists win UNDP awards for war against corruption and KOMF award for best report on children rights
BIRN journalists Parim Olluri and Petrit Collaku were awarded the first prize for online story by UNDP and the Journalists Association of Kosovo.
Their article “The Negotiated Million” published in the newspaper Life in Kosovo, showed how the Post Telecom of Kosovo gave two contracts to a Croatian company which was run by the son of the director of PTK’s business partner.
In the category of best TV story, the first prize went to Kreshnik Gashi from Justice in Kosovo with the story “Besimi doesn’t go to Jail.”
This story showed how Democratic Party of Kosovo didn’t fire from its structure Besim Rexhepi who was sentenced and was escaping from justice.
While BIRN journalist Kaltrina Rexhepi was awarded the first prize for the category of best TV story with the story “Children with Disabilities” by the Coalition of NGOs for protection of the Rights of children in Kosovo (KOMF).
This story showed the difficult life that children with disabilities face when they want to get integrated and attend school.
BIRN journalists Parim Olluri and Petrit Collaku were awarded the first prize for an online story by the United Nations Development Programme and the Journalists Association of Kosovo.
Their article, “The Negotiated Million,” published in Life in Kosovo, showed how the Post Telecom of Kosovo (PTK) gave two contracts to a Croatian company which was run by the son of the director of PTK’s business partner.
In the category of best TV story, the first prize went to KreshnikGashi from Justice in Kosovo with the story “Besimi doesn’t go to Jail.”
This story showed how Democratic Party of Kosovo didn’t fire its functionary, Besim Rexhepi, even after he was sentenced and was escaping from justice.
For the best printed story were awarded Vehbi Kajtazi from the newspaper “Koha Ditore” for the series of articles regarding the scandals of EULEX and Liridon Llapashtica for the series of articles regarding carcinogenic oil.
The prize for the best radio story went to Nadie Ahmeti from Radio Free Europe.
“Civilsed Monotony,” a new report on the implementation of Kosovo-Serbia agreements was launched today in Prishtina.
This reportis the work of Big Deal, an initiative of BIRN Kosovo, the Center for Transparency, Research and Accountability, CRTA, from Serbia, and Internews Kosova.
The report is the result of more than 70 interviews with negotiators, local politicians, journalists and ordinary citizens and over six months of intensive research done across Kosovo and Serbia.
With an in-depth view of the current state of play in implementation, Big Deal aims to make the process of normalizing relations a more transparent one.
Big Deal’s first report examines the dynamics of the implementation, which has been seriously hindered by the political deadlock in Kosovo, decisions by the Serbian Constitutional Court and crises that have shifted the attention of the European Union.
Big Deal is supported by the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office in Belgrade and Prishtina, and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund. Big Deal will publish reports every six months.
On October 21, 2014 “Justice in Kosovo” broadcasted the investigation presenting facts that the branch of Basic Court of Gjakova, in Malisheva was incapable to execute a verdict released in 2009.
The findings of this investigation show how the experts of the Cadaster in the municipality of Malisheva were threatened. Also, the court’s verdicts hurt cadaster’s officials because they did not want to do their job under threat.
The widow Rabishe Mazreku said that she cannot possess the property her dead husband left her even though there is a verdict from the court giving her this right.
This property is usurped by the bother of her husband Bajram Mazreku. Even 7 years after the court verdict was released, she still cannot gain possession of the land.
Bajram Mazreku was contacted by “Justice in Kosovo” but did not want to comment on the case. Haxhi Millaku, Bajram Mazreku’s lawyer said that his client was threatened by Rabishe Mazreku’s family, which she denies.
On the other side, Fadil Shala head of cadastre of Malisheva said their officials were threatened by Bajram Rexhepi when the court verdict was being executed.
On the second part of the program, there was reportage about municipality properties in Malisheva that are disputable.
Qamil Mazreku from Malisheva cannot be compensated for the property that the municipality of Malisheva took from his father Qazim Mazreku.
It seems that they gave a controversial property to Mazreku’s family because citizens from the Carrakulla village pretended to own the land.
Ahmet Hoti from Carrakulla village said that this property belongs to his family as it was bought many years ago by his father.Ragib Begaj Mayor of Malisheva said that he has no explanation for this case and said to contact the municipality’s lawyers.
The lawyer did not want to comment while the camera was rolling and answered with a letter, explaining that the land was given as compensation to the Mazreku family, and that the is property belongs to the municipality. According to him, Hoti’s family has no ownership of this property.
The Hoti family sued the municipality and the Basic Court of Malisheva decided in their favor.But now the case is on the Court of Appeal to take a verdict on this property.
