Kosovo: 4 More Women Journalists Injured By Violent Masked Mob

The Coalition For Women In Journalism is deeply concerned for the safety of media workers covering escalating tensions in Kosovo

Location: Kosovo, Leposavic
Date: June 16, 2023

Four ethnic-Albanian women journalists were assaulted and injured in the Serb-majority town of Leposavic reporting on protests against the outcome of local elections — latest in a plethora of attacks on journalists and media workers in the North of Kosovo. Over three weeks, the Coalition For Women In Journalism has documented physical assaults, intimidation, and vehicle vandalization against 14 women journalists. Actively monitoring the disturbing situation, we are noticing a significant escalation in the attacks against the press. The Coalition For Women In Journalism is appalled at the continuous assaults and calls on local Kosovo Police, EULEX, and KFOR to ensure the media can report safely.

On June 16, dozens of media teams congregated in Serb-majority town of Leposavic to document protests and reactions following an escalation of tensions between the governments of Kosovo and Serbia. 

Another RTK team is attacked in Leposaviq

RTK cameraman, Bardh Bekteshi, was physically attacked, and his camera was broken.

In the images sent to us by our journalist Venera Xhoxhaj, we can see the attack of the media teams and the cameraman Bekteshi falling.#RTK #attacked pic.twitter.com/AMYVP8MBku

— RTK - Radio and Television of Kosovo (@rtklivecom) June 16, 2023

Video footage from the scene shows journalists filming protestors and the NATO peacekeeping force in Kosovo (KFOR), when a violent masked mob turns on journalists and starts to chase them.

As the journalists ran to safety, stun grenades and stones are thrown in their direction. Footage filmed Venera Xhoxhaj shows a protester kicking a cameraman from RTK after falling to the ground while trying to escape.  Xhoxhaj fled the scene but remained uninjured. 

Journalist Dorentina Thaqi, hit by stones and stun grenades. CREDIT: AJK

Journalist Dorentina Thaqi was hit with stones in the head and attacked with stun grenades. Klan TV Kosova’s Qendresa Sinani was also hit with stones, injuring her right leg. IndeksOnline team, including Laura Kerolli was physically attacked by violent protestors and suffered bodily injuries. 

Journalist Laura Kerolli hit by stones and injured. CREDIT: AJK

The Association of Journalists in Kosovo (AJK) reported attacks on 9 journalists covering events in Leposavic on June 16. Journalist Pleurat Salihu’s arm was broken by protestors.

Tensions in Northern Kosovo

Recent local elections sparked tensions in Northern Kosovo, as Kosovo Serbs — who comprise approximately 5% of the country's 1.8 million inhabitants — refused to participate in the local elections in four northern majority Serb municipalities. Ethnic Albanians were elected with a little over three percent of voter turnout, gaining control of the councils. Local Serb parties, which boycotted the election, deem the officials illegitimate.

Tensions peaked on May 29 when Serbian protesters clashed with NATO peacekeepers in Zvecan, resulting in several injuries. 

The situation escalated further on June 14 when Serbian security forces took three Kosovo police officers. Serbia claims they were arrested in their territory, while Kosovo states that they were abducted while patrolling in Kosovo.

Attacks on 14 women journalists

CFWIJ has documented attacks against 14 women journalists in the past three weeks.

On June 15, the car of Arbresha Berisha and her colleagues from public broadcaster RTK was vandalized. A brick was thrown at their vehicle, smashing its window and bursting its tires.

Following the arrest of Milun 'Lune' Milenkovic, accused of orchestrating attacks against NATO peacekeepers during violent protests, journalists Zorica Krstic Vorgucic and Tatjana Lazarevi were harassed and intimidated in Mitrovica. 

Between May 28 and 30, six women journalists covering protests had their vehicles vandalized.

On June 19, Kosovo police announced they arrested an individual accused of attacking journalists in Leposavic. The Kosovo police have arrested three people in connection with assaulting journalists last month.

Security Infrastructure in Kosovo

Kosovo has a complex security infrastructure established by international powers to help transition the country after armed conflict in 1999. 

Three bodies are responsible for securing safety in Serb-majority regions, primarily in the north of Kosovo. 

The first body accountable for dealing with policing is the Kosovo police force. After NATO intervention in 1999, the United Nations established law and order and trained a professional Kosovo Police Service. By 2008, the police had a strong reputation as a professional police force.

EULEX, the EU's largest civilian mission, was launched in 2008 to support Kosovo authorities in establishing sustainable rule of law institutions. Its Formed Police Unit trains with the police and NATO's Kosovo Force and supports operational crowd and riot control capacities. 

The third body with a mandate to secure Kosovo is NATO's Kosovo Force (KFOR), which was established in 1999 to provide neutral peacekeeping, ensuring a secure environment and freedom of movement for all communities in Kosovo. Its 3,700 troops from 27 countries operate as the third responder after the Kosovo police and EULEX.

Recent developments in Kosovo have hampered the work of the security forces. The EU and the USA State have criticized Kosovo’s government for installing ethnic-Albanian majors in Serb-majority towns and using Kosovo police to provide protection. Critics claim that such a move is provoking ethnic tensions in these communities. 

In the absence of police, EULEX and KFOR are mandated to provide protection. However, in the latest spate of attacks on June 16, video footage shows that NATO forces, KFOR, were present in Leposavic but failed to provide safety for the group of journalists reporting.

The Coalition For Women In Journalism is deeply concerned about the continued attacks on journalists reporting in the north of Kosovo. We commend Kosovo Police for swiftly identifying and arresting an alleged perpetrator but urge all three arms of security, police, EULEX, and KFOR to immediately restore order on the ground. Videos of journalists running for their lives while armed forces fail to provide a protected area or stop the violence are unacceptable.

The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.

If you have been harassed or abused in any way, and please report the incident by using the following form.