Demonstrations against President Aleksandar Vucic, Belgrade, Serbia

[angelburst29]

'It has begun': A color revolution is under way in the Serbia.

Protesters storm public broadcaster HQ in Serbia, face off with riot police (VIDEOS)
16 Mar, 2019

US Embassies in Skopje and Belgrade start chaos in Serb capital
By Gorazd Velkovski - March 17, 2019

Protesters rally outside Serbia president's residence, police use pepper spray

Thousands of anti-government protesters staged a rally outside President Aleksandar Vucic's residence on Sunday to press their demands for greater media freedom and free and fair elections, a day after they briefly broke into the state television building.


Protests also in Montenegro and Albania.
Thousands march in Montenegro capital to demand president resign

Thousands marched through Montenegro's capital Podgorica on Saturday, the fifth such rally in two months, to demand the resignation of President Milo Djukanovic and his government over allegations of abuse of office, graft and cronyism.

Albanian police disperse protesters with tear gas and water cannon

Albanian police used tear gas and water cannon on Saturday to disperse protestors trying to break into parliament after marching twice around a nearby government building in a campaign for early elections.

Croats protest against domestic violence

Several thousand Croats demonstrated in Zagreb on Saturday, demanding tougher measures against domestic violence and more training for employees in state institutions to help them tackle the problem.

 

[Anthony]

I had a work college that grew up in Kosovo Albania where they even erected a big statue of Bill Clinton "the great hero". He kept on talking about the "great deeds" of Clinton and his clique and what great things they did to the country and the region. The guy was so into the "great savior america" nonsense that it was strange to watch.

The West really did a number on the Balkans, so much so that their role in the 90's chaos is rarely if ever mentioned. I've personally never heard people in Croatia who lived through the war ever mention the Western meddling. I guess Martha Stout explains it well in her book The Paranoia Switch; we were esentially brainwashed.

 

[Konstantin]

These protests come after the Serb opposition leader Djilas made frequent stops in Skopje to meet with Zaev and reps of the US Embassy. MINA has reported for nearly a year that Serbia is next for a ‘regime change’ orchestrated by Washington. All meetings and the overall planning for this operation are taking place in Skopje. The protesters initially planned to stage a 2-hour sit-in in front of the building housing. However, the situation soon spiraled out of control. While they were chanting slogans outside, a group of protesters led by the leader of right-wing Dveri party Bosko Obradovic and his ally, prominent oppositional politician Dragan Djilas, stormed the officers, occupying several floors.

I am pretty sure that the things are going to be very complicated on the Balkans in the near future

US Embassies in Skopje and Belgrade start chaos in Serb capital | MINA Report

 

[angelburst29]

During last Saturday’s street march several dozen people forced their way into the building of Serbia’s national television broadcaster.

March 18, 2019 - Vucic does not rule out radicalization of protests in Serbia
Vucic does not rule out radicalization of protests in Serbia

© AP Photo/Marko Drobnjakovic

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic does not rule out radicalization of protests in the country.

"They are unable to achieve victory in the parliamentary elections, so we expect harsher protest actions," Vucic told the media on Monday.

During last Saturday’s street march several dozen people forced their way into the building of Serbia’s national television broadcaster. Police was called to make the attackers leave the building. Vucic addressed the nation with a warning that all rioters would be brought to justice.

During the presidential message protesters burst through police cordons to surround the presidential residence to declare they would not let the president out. Crack police were moved in. The demonstration’s organizers curtailed the rally to move to the police station where the protesters detained previously had been taken.

The Serbian president labeled the protest leaders as fascists and oligarchs, who seek to regain power in order to rob the country.

March 17, 2019 - Vucic vows to bring all Belgrade rioters to justice
Vucic vows to bring all Belgrade rioters to justice

All those who took part in Saturday’s protests in Belgrade will bear responsibility, Serbian President Alexander Vucic said in his address to the nation on Sunday.

"Stop the violence! Everyone taking part in this violence will be brought to justice," Vucic said. "The state won’t allow violence. If anyone thinks political goals can be achieved through violence, they are mistaken," he noted.

The Serbian president labeled the protest leaders as fascists and oligarchs, who seek to regain power in order to rob the country. "I’m their target as I seek Serbia’s political consolidation and economic development."

The opposition leaders gathered outside the presidential palace in Belgrade on Sunday demanding Vucic’s resignation. "We won’t leave, our people have blocked all the entrances. Now a really will start, we demand only one thing: the resignation," Bosko Obradovic, leader of the Serbian Movement Dveri, said.

Russia is ready to contribute to this in every possible way within the framework of bilateral relations, the Kremlin spokesman said.

March 18 - Russia expects Serbian authorities will settle situation around rallies
Russia expects Serbian authorities will settle situation around rallies

Russia wants to see Serbia a stable and steadily developing state and expects that its leadership will exert every effort to settle the situation with protests that took place in Belgrade last week, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists on Monday.

"Of course, we want to see Serbia a stable and dynamically developing nation," Peskov said, adding that Russia is ready to contribute to this in every possible way within the framework of bilateral relations, as the two states enjoy long-standing partnership relations.

At the same time, he stressed that protests in Serbia are an internal affair of the country. "We are confident that the Serbian leadership will do everything to settle the situation," the spokesman added.

Russia accuses Serbian opposition of stoking violence with protests

Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Monday it was seriously concerned by what it described as attempts by some opposition forces in Serbia to provoke violence during protests in Belgrade over the weekend.

 

[Corvus]

Several thousand Croats demonstrated in Zagreb on Saturday, demanding tougher measures against domestic violence and more training for employees in state institutions to help them tackle the problem.

In other words, tougher meassures against men. I listened to a radio while driving and there was this women probably hardcore feminist that wanted that domestic violence be treated as a felony. Prime minister was too happy to oblige because it all goes with the EU post modernist standards.

I had a work college that grew up in Kosovo Albania where they even erected a big statue of Bill Clinton "the great hero". He kept on talking about the "great deeds" of Clinton and his clique and what great things they did to the country and the region. The guy was so into the "great savior america" nonsense that it was strange to watch.

Of course he did, they did save them on Kosovo and expanded their Lebensraum, but if Milosević listened they would be nowhere around today.

You are the local so you know how it is but look at the average of my country Croatia and until recently I worked for 345 euros a month, so my idea is many people have lower wages than average

It is all about statistics and making it look better then it actually is, more so designed as a PR for the strangers and getting up their sleeves, but also to home population to convince them that things are not that really bad, but they are.

 

[angelburst29]

The leadership of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic's ruling Progressive Party (SNS) said on Monday it wanted a snap election to test its popularity a year ahead of schedule and after months of opposition protests.

March 25, 2019 - Serbia's ruling Progressive Party wants early election: President Vucic

“We did not make a formal decision about early elections, but (the party) presidency decided, with me abstaining, that it wants an early vote. We are closer to early elections than before,” Vucic told reporters.

He said that SNS party leadership informed Prime Minister Ana Brnabic - who was handpicked by Vucic - about its decision. Under the provisions of the constitution Brnabic’s government must first resign to allow Vucic to set the date for the vote.

“Elections will be either in June or spring next year,” Vucic said. “I am authorized by the presidency to enter talks with our coalition partners about the date.”

 

[angelburst29]

Thousands of anti-government protesters gathered in Belgrade on Saturday to press demands for an end to the rule of President Aleksandar Vucic and his Progressive Party, greater media freedom and free and fair elections.

April 13, 2019 - Thousands rally in Belgrade to protest against Serbian president

The peaceful demonstration was organized by the Alliance for Serbia (SZS), a broad grouping of 30 parties and organizations, which started weekly protests in December.

Vucic has also staged a countrywide campaign and scheduled a major rally in Belgrade for April 19.

Slideshow (10 Images)
Thousands rally in Belgrade to protest against Serbian president

 

[angelburst29]

Now the procedure for the signing of this agreement is being launched.

April 11, 2019 - Eurasian Economic Union may sign agreement on free trade zone with Serbia in October
Eurasian Economic Union may sign agreement on free trade zone with Serbia in October

The agreement of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) on a free trade zone with Serbia is due to be signed in October 2019, member of the Board of the Eurasian Economic Commission Veronika Nikishina said at the international conference "From Idea to Reality: 25th Anniversary of Nursultan Nazarbayev’s Eurasian Initiative," that is being held in the city of Nur-Sultan on Thursday.

"This year we ended negotiations with Serbia and are now launching the procedure for the signing of this agreement. We hope to sign it in October," Nikishina said.

She noted that "just a step separates" the EAEU from "the end of negotiations with Singapore on a free trade zone." "If we evince patience and will aimed at achieving results - we also want to sign this agreement this year," the member of the Board of the Eurasian Economic Commission explained.

The conference gathered about 300 people, including management representatives for the Eurasian Economic Commission, the parliaments and the Russian and Kazakhstani foreign ministries.

April 17, 2019 - Russia plans to step up foreign policy coordination with Serbia — Lavrov
Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic is visiting Russia on Wednesday at Lavrov's invitation.

Russia will continue efforts on developing foreign policy coordination with Serbia, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at a meeting in Moscow with his Serbian counterpart Ivica Dacic on Wednesday.

"We keep our intensive dialogue, and contacts at the highest level set the tone for it, in particular, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Serbia in January," Lavrov said. The presidents discussed then the implementation of previous deals and agreed on the new areas of cooperation in economy, foreign policy and inter-parliamentary exchanges, he noted.

"Today there is a great opportunity to continue efforts on ensuring intensive and progressive development of our relations, including in the sphere of foreign policy coordination," Lavrov said.

April 19, 2019 - Serbia will never impose sanctions on Russia despite pressure — foreign minister

Serbia's Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic © Vladimir Gerdo/TASS

Serbia will not impose any restrictive measures on Russia despite pressure, Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic told Izvestiya daily.

"The friendship between Russia and Serbia is already a tradition. Now our relations are at the level of strategic cooperation. That's why Serbia never has and never will impose sanctions or other restrictive measures against Russia despite the pressure exerted on Serbia," Dacic said.

The foreign minister stressed that Serbia's plans to become part of the European Union will not hamper development of relations with Russia. He noted that Moscow helps Belgrade defend its national interests, including on the issue of Kosovo. "It would be incorrect, to put it mildly, to follow Western countries in imposing sanctions," he added.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov earlier told the Serbian Telegraph newspaper that Western countries exert pressure on Serbia. Lavrov noted that Belgrade successfully withstands pressure and pursues an independent foreign policy.

April 20, 2019 - Serbian president rules out NATO membership, anti-Russian sanctions

Pro-government rally in Belgrade © Pavel Bushuyev/TASS

Despite foreign pressure, Serbia will never impose sanctions on Russia and will stay out of any military bloc, including NATO, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic told a pro-government rally in Belgrade on Friday evening.

"Serbia wants to join the European Union, but we also want to preserve our good relations with Russia and improve relations with China. We will never impose sanctions on Russia no matter how strong the pressure is, because Russia has never imposed sanctions on us. We want to remain neutral, to defend our land and skies on our own and to stay away of any military bloc," the Serbian leader said

He said that Serbia’s foreign policies envisage friendly relations with Russia and China and improving ties with the European Union and NATO. At the same time, Belgrade is reluctant to join any military bloc, saying that it values its status of a neutral country.

Western politicians and organizations have repeatedly stressed that the country’s European integration is possible on the condition that it recognizes the independence of Kosovo and halts friendship with Russia.

Vucic said that although his country was ready for dialogue on the status of Kosovo but "everyone must remember that although life is precious, there is something far more valuable - honor." "Don’t force Serbia to give up its honor," he said.

On Friday, Vucic attended a large-scale rally in the Serbian capital, which gathered to demonstrate support to the incumbent government. Earlier, Vucic said the rally will be the country’s biggest in 50 years. According to police estimates, it was attended by between 140,000 and 150,000 participants, including residents of all Serbian regions, brought to the capital by some 3,000 buses. A group of 27 people arrived from the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija on foot, after the authorities of Kosovo, which unilaterally declared independence from Serbia in 2008, prohibited a dozen of Belgrade-bound buses from crossing the border.

The rally was organized in response to a series of anti-government protests, which began last December. No incidents were reported.

Thousands rally in Belgrade to support Serbia's president Vucic

Thousands of people from all over Serbia flocked to Belgrade's city center on Friday in a show of support for President Aleksandar Vucic, who has faced five months of opposition protests.

 

[PerfectCircle]

I guess transportation and sandwiches were secured for many of those coming to show support to Vucic, but I would like to hear comments from my fellow neighbours about this matter. :)

 

[angelburst29]

The Serbian parliament on Tuesday adopted amendments to the criminal code which raise sentences for some serious crimes to life imprisonment.

Serbia introduces life sentences without parole for most serious crimes

The amendments, dubbed Tijana's law, introduced life without parole for the rape and murder of a minor, pregnant or a disabled person, instead of previous jail terms of 30 and 40 years.

The law was introduced after years of campaigning by Igor Juric, whose 15-year-old daughter Tijana was abducted and killed in 2014. Her killer is currently serving a 40-year sentence.

Juric’s initiative was backed by a petition signed by about 160,000 people.

A life sentence is also envisioned for the killing of a senior state official, acts of terrorism, genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. Under the amended law, those convicted may apply for a parole after no less than 27 years.

Lawmakers of the ruling coalition led by President Aleksandar Vucic’s Progressive Party and a part of the opposition voted for the amendments.

“The sentence has a symbolic meaning as it can better express gravity of certain crimes,” the government said in the draft proposal.

However, some jurists said the move could backfire, resulting in lesser sentences. Instead of allowing judges to choose between sentences of 20 to 40 years and life imprisonment, the proposed changes will force them to choose between 20 years and life.

“This will most likely result in an increase in the number of 20-year sentences, as few judges will want to take responsibility for impounding someone for life,” Milena Vasic of the Lawyers Committee for Human Rights wrote in an op-ed piece for the Balkan Insight website.

Serbia which wants to join the European Union, must align its legislature, including its criminal and penalty codes with those of the EU. It must also improve the independence of its judiciary to meet entry requirements.

Many European countries have life sentences but with a possibility of parole, including France, Germany and Italy.

A 2018 poll showed that 56% of the Serbian population support the death penalty, which the EU has abolished.

Don’t play with fire: Serbian defense chief castigates ‘dangerous Greater Albania’ gambit
Greater Albania is the pan-Albanian idea of reunifying all territories, where Albanians live or used to live.

Albania’s expansionist ambitions jeopardize peace and stability in the Balkans, Serbian Defense Minister Aleksandar Vulin said in an interview with TASS on Monday.

"A major threat to the Balkans right now is the creation of a Greater Albania and it's attempt to gain a foothold in the territories of other states, starting with Montenegro, North Macedonia, the territory of Kosovo and Metohija and a part of Central Serbia," Vulin sais. The only country, which opposes this, is Serbia."

According to Vulin, after North Macedonia’s accession to NATO, all Albanians will live in a single political security zone, but the Albanian prime minister expressed his wish to "erase the borders among those states where Albanians live." "And they live in four countries, and this is alarming," he said. "Moreover, the European Union and NATO are turning a blind eye to the formation of a Greater Albania."

"If someone wants to solve the Albanian national issue in the Balkans, they should also iron out the Serbian national issue," the Serbian defense minister stressed. "We cannot give the Albanians something without giving the same to the Serbs. That’s why, I take this opportunity to warn the entire world: Don’t play with fire! Don’t create a Greater Albania on Serbian soil."

Greater Albania is the pan-Albanian idea of reunifying all territories, where Albanians live or used to live. In this case, the Albanians will seek to obtain a part of Greece’s territory, half of Macedonia, all of Kosovo and some territories of southern Serbia, as well as a half of Montenegro. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov earlier said that Moscow was concerned since the EU was passive about the initiative about the so-called Tirana platform, which is a clear call for creating a Greater Albania.

Serbia one of Russia’s key partners, says senator
Serbia is one of Russia’s key partners in Europe and in the world, Chairman of the Russian Federation Council's (upper house of parliament) Foreign Affairs Committee Konstantin Kosachev stated on Saturday in an interview with Serbia’s RTS channel.

"We have a great deal of common interests. We both have the same stance on the necessity of maintaining the UN’s role and respecting international law. We have huge projects in the sphere of gas, nuclear energy, healthcare, education, agriculture. We are very interesting partners for each other. That is why Serbia is one of our key, most interesting partners in Europe and in a more global context," Kosachev said.

The Russian senator also noted the particular relevance of Victory Day in Serbia. On May 9, Kosachev took part in the Immortal Regiment demonstrations in Belgrade, attended by over 10,000 people.

The ‘Immortal Regiment’ march is an annual event held throughout Russia and in other countries. The event is dedicated to the victory in Great Patriotic War (or WWII) that claimed lives of about 28 million Soviet people, both soldiers and civilians. During the march, people carry portraits of their relatives who fought or died during the war.

The idea was born in the Russian Siberian city of Tyumen in 2007 and the march was called the Victors’ Parade. In 2012, another Siberian city of Tomsk picked up the torch renaming the rally as ‘Immortal Regiment.’ The next year, about 120 cities joined in. A year later, people carried portraits of their relatives, who fought during WWII, in 500 cities in seven countries. Since 2015, the ‘Immortal Regiment’ march has become a nationwide event.

 

[angelburst29]

Serbia needs to accept that it has lost control over Kosovo, its former southern province, and it must seek a compromise to normalize ties with Pristina, President Aleksandar Vucic told parliament in unusually blunt terms on Monday.

Accept reality, Serbia does not control Kosovo: Vucic

Serbia's President Aleksandar Vucic speaks in the Serbian Parliament in Belgrade, Serbia, May 27, 2019. REUTERS/Marko Djurica

Majority-Albanian Kosovo declared independence in 2008, almost a decade after NATO air strikes wrested control of the territory away from Belgrade, ending a brutal counter-insurgency by Serbian security forces.

But Serbia, which under its Constitution considers Kosovo an integral part of its territory, has been blocking Kosovo from membership of International institutions including Interpol and UNESCO. It also still provides financial aid to Serbs in Kosovo.

For years, Kosovo’s independence has been a taboo topic in Serbia because most Serbs regard it (Kosovo) as the cradle of their nation and of the Orthodox Christian faith.

But Vucic spoke plainly on Monday.

“We need to recognize that we have been defeated.. We lost the territory,” Vucic told parliament during a special session dedicated to Kosovo. “I did not opt to continue with lies and deceit. I have told everyone: There is no Serbian (visible) authority in Kosovo except in hospitals and schools,” he said.

Serbia and Kosovo agreed to an EU-sponsored dialogue in 2013 to resolve all outstanding issues between them, which was key for both countries to progress towards membership in the European Union. But little progress has been achieved since then.

Their talks became deadlocked last November when Pristina introduced a 100% tax on all goods imported from Serbia. That move is expected to curb economic growth in Serbia slightly, as its exports to Kosovo amount to 500 million euros a year. Nevertheless, the IMF expects Serbia’s economy to grow 3.5% this year.

" We have two options - to normalize relations by reaching an agreement or to maintain a frozen conflict," Vucic told the deputies, mostly members of the ruling coalition controlled by his Progressive Party.

Vucic is attempting a balancing act, maintaining both Serbia’s EU aspirations and its close ties with Russia and China, neither of whom recognize Kosovo. Five EU member states have also not recognized its independence.

However, he said it could take years before an agreement with Kosovo is achieved. He said Serbia would wait for Pristina to remove the 100% tax and then seek a compromise. Any solution will also require a referendum in Serbia.

“We will ask people to say what they think about a possible compromise solution in a referendum,” Vucic said.

Most opposition parties boycotted the session in parliament, in protest at what they call Vucic’s autocratic rule. They accuse him of stifling media freedoms and turning a blind eye to high-level corruption. Vucic denies these allegations.

Gordana Comic, a deputy for the opposition Democratic Party, said Vucic was merely trying to sound like some sort of agreement with Kosovo might be possible soon to please the EU. “This is the creation of atmosphere for announcing a ‘legally binding agreement’ (with Kosovo) in a few months ... ahead of the formation of the new European Commission,” Comic said.

Slideshow (3 Images)
Accept reality, Serbia does not control Kosovo: Vucic

Serbia places forces on alert after Kosovo police operation in Serb-populated north

Kosovo police secure the area near the town of Zubin Potok, Kosovo, May 28, 2019. REUTERS/Laura Hasani

BELGRADE/PRISTINA May 28, 2019 - Serbia ordered its troops on full alert on Tuesday and Russia accused Kosovo of provocation after a Kosovan police anti-crime operation in a region populated mainly by Serbs led to clashes.

At least 19 people were arrested and a Russian U.N. Official detained in the operation. Five police and six Serb civilians were wounded in fighting, Kosovan Official said.

The incidents signaled rising tensions in four Serb-majority municipalities in northern Kosovo, parts of which remain largely outside control of Pristina and pledge allegiance to Belgrade. The United Nations peacekeeping mission in Kosovo appealed for calm.

Belgrade said it viewed the Kosovan police operation as an attempt by Pristina to take control of northern parts of Kosovo which border Serbia.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic told parliament that Belgrade would try to “preserve peace and stability” but remained ready to react. “As the supreme commander, I have placed our army units in full combat readiness, if there is any serious endangering of order and people in the northern Kosovo, they will protect our people,” he told deputies.

Kosovan Foreign Minister Behgjet Pacolli said the operation had been carried out against criminal groups in northern Kosovo, where cross-border smuggling is rampant.

“It was normal work of our police and I believe it’s not the last operation in Kosovo. Maybe today or the next days we will keep fighting the organized crime,” Pacoli told reporters in the Slovak capital Bratislava.

In Pristina, police chief Rashit Qalaj said a total of 19 Kosovan police officers had been arrested on suspicion of smuggling goods into the country. Eleven were ethnic Serbs, four ethnic Albanians and four were Bosniaks, he told a news conference.

Law enforcement officers had faced “armed resistance”, Qalaj said. Five policemen were wounded, one from a gunshot. Six Serb civilians were also hurt, he said.

Majority-Albanian Kosovo declared independence in 2008, almost a decade after NATO air strikes wrested control of the territory away from Belgrade to end a counter-insurgency campaign by Serbian security forces.

But Serbia, which under its constitution considers Kosovo an integral part of its territory, has been blocking Kosovo from membership of international institutions including Interpol and UNESCO. It also still provides financial aid to Serbs in Kosovo.

RUSSIAN DETAINED
Two United Nations employees, one of them Russian, were also detained in the Kosovo police operation. Both were later released after demands from the U.N. mission - known as UNMIK - and the Kremlin. They were taken to hospital for treatment.

Qalaj said the Russian and a local staffer had been detained for joining a barricade. UNMIK was following the developments in northern Kosovo with great concern, U.N. mission chief Zahir Tanin said in a statement. “I urge all parties to abide by the principles of rule of law and dignity for all to life and liberty, and to help restore calm and security in the area,” he said.

Moscow, a close ally of Serbia, had wasted no time in demanding the immediate release of the Russian and criticizing the Kosovan government. “We consider the incursion of the Kosovo-Albanian special forces into the region’s north...as yet another provocation from Pristina aimed at intimidating and squeezing out the non-Albanian population and establishing control over these areas by force,” the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement.

The NATO peacekeeping force in Kosovo (KFOR) said it was ready to intervene if necessary and also appealed for calm. “Because of the political sensitivity of the moment...KFOR invites all the parties to deal with the disputes peacefully and responsibly, without any use of force or violence,” NATO said.

A day earlier, Serbia’s Vucic had said Serbia had lost control over Kosovo and called for a compromise solution between Belgrade and Pristina to end the stalemated conflict.

Slideshow (5 Images)
Serbia places forces on alert after Kosovo police operation in...

Unrecognized Kosovo’s police detain 28 in territory’s north, says President Vucic
The Serbian leader added that all nine civilians were detained in the village of Zubin-Potok for "resisting gunmen with bare hands".

Police in unrecognized Kosovo intruded into the north of the autonomous Serbian territory to detain 28 people, Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vucic told parliament on Tuesday.

"A total of 28 people were detained: 19 police and nine civilians. Of the 19 police eleven are Serbs, seven are Albanians and one Bosnian," Vucic said.

He added that all civilians were detained in the village of Zubin-Potok for "resisting gunmen with bare hands."

Unrecognized Kosovo’s crack police on Tuesday morning intruded into northern municipalities of Kosovo and Metohija. Two Serbs were slightly injured in shootouts. Vucic in a message to parliament said that Kosovo’s police had detained 23 people, including one Russian,

Mikhail Krasnoshchekov, a staffer of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK). Vucic said that at the moment of detention the Russian was beaten up. UNMIK said later the Russian had been released.


Russia demands Kosovo release detained Russian U.N. worker: RIA
Russia's embassy in Serbia on Tuesday demanded that Kosovo immediately release a detained Russian national working at a United Nations mission in Kosovo, the RIA news agency reported.


Kosovo releases Russian U.N. worker detained by police
Kosovo released a Russian national working for the United Nations on Tuesday, the United Nations mission in Kosovo said, after Moscow demanded that Pristina release him.

Russian detained in Kosovo has been set free, UN Secretariat confirms

© EPA-EFE/STRINGER

Mikhail Krasnoshchekov has reportedly been beaten up at the moment of detention.

Russian national Mikhail Krasnoshchekov, a member of the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo UNMIK, has been released, the UN Secretary General’s deputy spokesman Farhan Haq told TASS on Tuesday. "It has been confirmed that the Russian staff member has been released," he said.

Special police units of unrecognized Kosovo on Tuesday morning intruded into northern municipalities of Kosovo and Metohija. Two Serbs were slightly injured in shootouts. Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vucic in a message to legislators said that Kosovo’s police had detained 23 people, including Russia’s Mikhail Krasnoshchekov, a staffer of the UN mission in Kosovo. Vucic said that at the moment of detention the Russian was beaten up. According to the UN mission Krasnoshchekov is now in hospital.

The Russian embassy in Serbia strongly condemned the intrusion of Kosovo’s forces into the north of Kosovo and Metohija and demanded Krasnoshchekov’s immediate release.


Russia accuses Kosovo of 'provocation' over Serb detentions
Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday accused Kosovo of provocation after its police detained what Moscow said were 13 Serbians in Serb-populated municipalities in Kosovo's north.


Serbia’s aircraft, armor seen moving southwards, accordong to media reports
The Tanjug news agency reported at least one MiG-29 fighter plane flew over Novi Pazar towards the Ground Safety Zone between Serbia and Kosovo.

BELGRADE, May 28, 2019 - Serbia’s aircraft and armor have been noticed on the way to the south of the country towards unrecognized Kosovo, the Tanjug news agency said on Tuesday.

A convoy of military vehicles and personnel left the barracks in Kraljevo, Central Serbia. The agency says it is most probably moving towards Raska (a city on the border with the autonomous province of Kosovo and Metohija - TASS). Defense Minister Aleksandar Vulin visited the barracks shortly before the departure.

Tanjug reports at least one MiG-29 fighter plane flew over Novi Pazar (in the country’s south) towards the Ground Safety Zone, established under the June 9, 1999 agreement concluded in Kumanovo. The zone is a five-kilometer-wide strip of land along the 382-kilometer border between the autonomous Serbian territory of Kosovo and Metohija and Central Serbia.

Earlier, Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vucic alerted the army following an aggravation of the situation in the Serbian autonomous province.


Kosovo remains source of instability in Balkans, Republika Srpska president says
According to Zeljka Cvijanovic, Kosovo police raids were "a forceful political action" aimed at intimidating the region's Serb population.

The unrecognized Kosovo remains a constant source of instability in the Balkans region, Zeljka Cvijanovic, the President of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Republika Srpska, said on Tuesday, commenting on the rising tensions in Kosovo.

"The unrecognized Kosovo undoubtedly is a serious source of instability in the Western Balkans, it is a territory where human rights and the rights of a nation are being violated and a territory that operates beyond the political and economic rules of the civilized world. It remains like this with the support of a part of the international community," she said.

According to Cvijanovic, Kosovo police raids were "a forceful political action" aimed at intimidating the region’s Serb population.


Kosovo’s PM promises to study case of Russian’s detention under international law
Prime Minister of unrecognized Kosovo Ramush Haradinaj promised to study the case of the detention of a member of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), Russian national Mikhail Krasnoshchyokov, in compliance with international conventions. He also stated that Russia is involved in the destabilization of the situation in the region, he wrote on Twitter on Tuesday.

"Kosovo institutions will treat the case of the Russian ‘diplomat’ in accordance with international conventions. Kosovo and regional countries are familiar with the Russian agenda to destabilize our region," he wrote.

President of unrecognized Kosovo Hashim Thaci earlier explained UN Mission employee Krasnoshchyokov’s detention by the fact that he allegedly "tried to hamper the police action."


Kosovar authorities striving to kick Serbs out of Kosovo and Metohija — BiH Presidency

Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Milorad Dodik © AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic

Chairman of the Presidency Milorad Dodik said taht this is a fight against the Serbs’ staying in Kosovo and Metohija and an "attempt to instigate a new exodus".

The special forces’ operation of the Kosovar police in the north of Kosovo is aimed at driving Serbs away from the autonomous province, Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Milorad Dodik said on Tuesday.

"It is clear that it is not an event in the fight against crime. This is a fight against the Serbs’ staying in Kosovo and Metohija and an attempt to instigate a new exodus," the politician said.

 

[angelburst29]

Russian Ambassador Alexander Chepurin called an attack on Mikhail Krasnoshchekov "a flagrant provocation".

Russian Embassy in Serbia demands probe into Kosovo incident with Russian diplomat
The Russian Embassy in Serbia is demanding a probe into the incident with a Russian diplomat in Kosovo and that all those guilty for it face punishment, Ambassador to Serbia Alexander Chepurin wrote on the embassy’s Facebook page on Tuesday. "We will demand an investigation into that incident from the international presence controlling the situation in the region and that those responsible be prosecuted," the ambassador stressed.

He called "the attack of the so-called Kosovo Albanian police officers on Mikhail Krasnoshchekov, an employee of the UN with diplomatic immunity, a flagrant provocation and a new show of Pristina’s disrespect for the rules of international law and civilized communication."
He said the Russian national had been physically assaulted during the arrest. "He received serious bodily injuries and is currently in hospital in the Serbian-populated region of North Mitrovica and is being monitored by medics. Russian diplomats are with him," the ambassador said.

Serbs protests against police actions in northern Kosovo

© AP Photo/Bojan Slavkovic

The Tanjug news agency reported that the rally started at noon, local time, mayor Goran Rakic addressed the protesters, calling on them to keep calm and stay patient.

Many people have come out to protest in the central square of Kosovska Mitrovica in the north of unrecognized Kosovo, the Serbian news agency Tanjug reported on Wednesday.

According to the agency’s information, the rally stated at noon, local time, mayor Goran Rakic addressed the protesters, calling on them to keep calm and stay patient. "I ask you to resist provocations prepared in the Western kitchens. As long as Serbs remain in Kosovo and Metohija, it will be both Serbian and ours," he said.

Rakic also said that three women were arrested on Tuesday in the Kosovo police operation. Their whereabouts are still unknown. The politician pointed out that a crisis office is constantly monitoring Pristina’s actions to react to the situation in Kosovska Mitrovica in a timely manner.

True Montenegro party joins Serb protest in northern Kosovo
The headship of the True Montenegro political party headed by its leader Marko Milacic has joined the Serb protests against the Kosovo police actions in Kosovska Mitrovica, the party statement issued on Wednesday reads.

The party representatives took part in the protest rally, pointing out that they support Serbs in their aspiration for peace and stability. "True Montenegro is in the right place as Montenegro, where the process of kosovization is happening before our very eyes, is defending itself here. Kosovo is the heart of Serbia and the Soul of Montenegro. Brotherly Serbs, True Montenegro is with you," Milacic said.

Kosovo crisis was provoked by those who wish to cordon off Russia, says Lavrov

© Mikhail Metzel/TASS

LJUBLJANA, May 29, 2019 - The aggravation of tensions in unrecognized Kosovo was provoked by those who wish to turn the Balkans into a ‘sanitary cordon’ against Russia, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told the media on Wednesday.

"As far as the events in Kosovska Mitrovica are concerned, such provocations play into the hands of those who wish to turn the Balkans into a "sanitary cordon" against Russia," Lavrov told a news conference following talks with his Slovenian counterpart Miro Cerar.

Lavrov warned that for attaining this aim all countries of the region would have to be dragged into NATO.

"You’ve been able to see every resource employed to this end in settling the issue of Macedonia’s official name," he said. "As we can see now, Serbia is being forced into consent Kosovo's independence will be formalized and this will pave the way for the accession of more West Balkans territories to NATO."

"All this is very sad. We discussed the situation in this region with my counterpart today," Lavrov said. "We saw that Slovenia, although it is a member of NATO and the European Union, does not support the idea of ‘sanitary cordons’," he said. Lavrov added that Slovenia was for overcoming the existing obstacles, and not creating new division lines in Europe.

 

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The Kosovo incident is very serious - many of the injuries inflicted on the Serb civilians and the Russian Diplomat were to the face and the ribs, in a systematic and pre-planned manner. Russia has started a full investigation and President Vucic had visited the hospital to see the victims. Vucic, in turn, is prompting the EU to get Kosovo Thaci to follow through with his obligation to adhere to the Community of Serb Municipalities. According to the Serbian president, Belgrade has implemented its obligations under the Agreement.

Serbia blasts EU’s silence on Kosovo’s refusal to implement Brussels Agreement

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic © AP Photo/Marko Drobnjakovic

Belgrade is shocked by the European Union’s lack of reaction to Pristina’s refusal to implement the Brussels Agreement, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said following a hospital visit with Russian diplomat Mikhail Krasnoshchekov who had been injured in Kosovo.

"We are shocked that the European Union has shown no response to Hashim Thaci's statement, in which he said that Pristina would not abide by the Brussels Agreement. They should tell us if these agreements are still in effect. We waited for 24 hours but nothing happened," Vucic said.

President of unrecognized Kosovo Hashim Thaci said earlier that he would not allow the Community of Serb Municipalities to be established in the region as stipulated by the Brussels Agreements. According to him, the situation has changed and he cannot let it be done in exchange for the easing of visa restrictions with the European Union. Thaci added that if the Community of Serb Municipalities was created, "the second Republika Srpska will emerge."

The establishment of the Community of Serb Municipalities is a cornerstone of the Brussels Agreement on the normalization of relations between Belgrade and Pristina, signed on April 19, 2013. The 15-paragraph document mostly covers issues concerning the powers of Serb municipalities in northern Kosovo. It says that the Community will be a self-governing association of Kosovo’s mostly Serb-populated municipalities. According to the Serbian president, Belgrade has implemented its obligations under the Agreement, while Kosovo started to develop a charter for the Community of Serb Municipalities five years after the document had been signed but later suspended the work.


Russia condemns Kosovo’s decision to declare Russian diplomat persona non grata
The unrecognized republic of Kosovo’s decision to declare Russian diplomat Mikhail Krasnoshchekov, an employee of the UN mission, persona non grata aims to raise inter-ethnic tensions in the region and will have far-reaching consequences, the Russian Foreign Ministry stated in a commentary on Friday.

"We see the actions of Kosovo officials as a continuation of an undisguised policy aimed to raise inter-ethnic tensions in the region and as a disregard of International norms of diplomatic communication. In essence, this demonstration of disregard for the UN from the side of Pristina is a precedent that will have far-reaching consequences," the ministry stressed.

"The Russian Federation will continue to take all necessary measures to protect its citizen in accordance with the international law and national legislation," the diplomats stressed


Russian Investigative Committee probing attack on Russian UN employee in Kosovo
The Russian Investigative Committee has launched a pre-investigation probe into the attack on Russian UN employee Mikhail Krasnoshchekov in Kosovo, the press service of the committee told TASS.

"The main office of the Russian Investigative Committee has launched a probe into the incident that happened with the Russian national Mikhail Krasnoshchekov, an employee of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK)," the press service said.

According to the committee, in the morning of May 28 Kosovar police officers intruded in the Serb-populated northern municipalities and arrested Mikhail Krasnoshchekov, who enjoys diplomatic immunity. Moreover, he was injured. "The unwarranted treatment and Mikhail Krasnoshchekov’s detention by the Kosovo special forces brazenly violate international law and the norms of civilized conduct," the committee pointed out.


Injuries sustained by some civilians in Kosovo may point to attempted murder, says doctor
According to Director of the Clinic Center in Kosovska Mitrovica Milan Ivanovic, the injuries were inflicted in the same way, which is telling that the violence was systematic and pre-planned.

The type of injuries that civilians sustained in the course of the special police operation in northern Kosovo are pointing to the fact that the police officers were trying to murder them, Director of the Clinic Center in Kosovska Mitrovica Milan Ivanovic said on Thursday.

Out of eleven hospitalized people, four have face injuries, cheek, upper jaw and nose bone injuries, including the Russian diplomat. Some sustained rib fractures, the injuries were inflicted in the same way, which is telling that the violence was systematic and pre-planned. This is practically an attempted murder, because the consequences can be tragic when the butt of the weapon hits you in the face. And we cannot rule out that their condition will exacerbate," Ivanovic said.

According to the doctor, another few dozen of people with various injuries are hospitalized in the village of Zubin-Potok.

 

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Kosovo's president said on Friday he was hopeful about reaching a deal with Serbia this year on normalizing ties despite a recent increase in tensions and that a planned meeting on July 1 in Paris could prove a turning point.

Kosovo president says deal on ties with Serbia possible this year

FILE PHOTO: Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel, Kosovo's President Hashim Thaci and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic pose among other heads of state during the family photo at the EU-Western Balkans Summit in Sofia, Bulgaria, May 17, 2018. Vassil Donev/Pool via Reuters/File Photo

Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vucic, speaking at the same event in Slovakia, said he was more pessimistic but that both sides must keep seeking a compromise.

Majority-Albanian Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008, almost a decade after NATO air strikes ended Belgrade’s control of the territory following a brutal counter-insurgency there by Serbian security forces.

But Serbia, whose constitution still sees Kosovo as Serb territory, has been blocking Kosovo from joining international institutions such as Interpol and UNESCO. It also still provides financial aid to ethnic Serbs in Kosovo.

“This process (of trying to normalize ties) is now in crisis, which brings opportunity for final agreement,” Kosovo’s President Hashim Thaci told the Globsec conference in the Slovak capital Bratislava. “I believe this agreement can be reached this year.”

Moscow seeks justice for Russian diplomat beaten up in brutal Kosovo attack

Mikhail Krasnoshchekov © Pavel Bushuyev/TASS

The arrest and beating of UN staffer who enjoys diplomatic immunity testifies to a climate of utter lawlessness in the territory, Maria Zakharova said.

Russia will press for punishing all those responsible for beating up Russian national Mikhail Krasnoshchekov, a staffer of the UN mission in Kosovo, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told a news briefing on Wednesday.

"The arrest and beating of a Russian citizen, UN staffer who enjoys diplomatic immunity, testifies to a climate of utter lawlessness in the territory, absolute defiance of international law and rules of civilized international contacts. Russia will keep a close watch on progress in the investigation of this incident and press for the punishment of all those responsible along the whole chain of command," she said.

"It has to be stated that Kosovo is the main source of instability and conflict potential in the region. This territory is practically uncontrollable. It is not just a source of instability, but a potentially dangerous, uncontrolled territory in the center of Europe," Zakharova said. "We do hope that Pristina’s patrons, who prefer to pursue their own interests, and not the interests of the Balkan countries and peoples, will use their influence to bring the leaders of Kosovo’s Albans to reason. Otherwise, there may follow irreversible consequences."

 

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April 13, 2019 - Thousands rally in Belgrade to protest against Serbian president

April 20, 2019 - Serbian president rules out NATO membership, anti-Russian sanctions

Unrecognized Kosovo’s police detain 28 in territory’s north, says President Vucic

Serbs protests against police actions in northern Kosovo

I sense, one of the reasons for the protest rallies to oust President Vucic and the recent incident in Kosovo might have been orchestrated by pressure from the American side and help pave the way for the marking of the 20th anniversary of NATO bombing Serbia?

Kosovo Albanians welcome Clinton, Albright 20 years after NATO intervention June 12, 2019

Former U.S. President Bill Clinton, Madeleine Albright, President of Kosovo Hashim Thaci walk during the 20th anniversary of the Deployment of NATO Troops in Kosovo in Pristina, Kosovo June 12, 2019. REUTERS/Florion Goga

Clinton, 72, and Albright, 82, were greeted like rock stars in the Kosovo capital Pristina where a statue of Albright was unveiled in the city center for the occasion, joining one of Clinton erected earlier on a boulevard named after him.

Majority-Albanian Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008, nine years after NATO air strikes ended Belgrade’s repressive grip on the territory following a brutal counter-insurgency campaign by Serbian security forces.

Marking the 20th anniversary of NATO peacekeeping troops entering Kosovo after Serbian forces left, Kosovo President Hashim Thaci awarded Clinton and Albright medals of freedom “for the liberty he brought to us and the peace to entire region.”

Clinton and Albright were the most outspoken proponents of NATO intervention to halt killings of Kosovar civilians by Serbian forces as part of Belgrade’s 1998-99 crackdown on a Kosovo Albanian guerrilla uprising.