Alliance leader Ardian Gjini has invited acting Prime Minister Albin Kurti to a televised public debate, arguing that the citizens of Kosovo should hear their discussion directly.

“Yes, I might have met Albin Kurti in a debate. I invited him so that all the people of Kosovo could see what we are talking about with each other, rather than meeting behind closed doors to take photos and then coming out afterward to lie to people about what we discussed,” Gjini said.

According to him, the debate could be held on any television station and with a journalist of Kurti’s choosing.

“Let him choose the studio, let him choose the journalist, let him choose the television station, the time and the day—whatever he wants. Publicly, yes, so that all the people can hear what we are saying,” Gjini said.

During the press conference, Gjini made it clear that the Alliance does not intend to join a government that includes Kurti and Vetëvendosje.

“We do not want to be part of a government with this ruling power; we refuse. Even if they give us half the government, we refuse. We are not making the election of the president a condition,” he said.

Gjini also stressed that the Alliance is not making Ramush Haradinaj’s election to the post of president a condition for cooperation.

“I have to repeat to him and to everyone else that it would be an honor for Kosovo and for all Albanians to have Ramush Haradinaj as president, but this is not our condition. We know that he would like to hear us say yes so he can tell us, ‘No, come on,’ but we are not asking for this,” Gjini said.

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A financial guarantee of €50,000 has failed to persuade the single judge presiding over the second case against Hashim Thaçi and others for attempted obstruction of justice to grant him conditional release under the 14 conditions proposed by the defense in July of this year, Klan Kosova reports.

Judge Gosnell has ordered Thaçi’s detention to be extended for another two months. In his decision, he viewed positively the financial guarantee provided by Thaçi’s brother and two friends.

“The €50,000 financial security offered by family and friends, subject to forfeiture in the event of failure to attend hearings, further reduces such a risk [the risk of flight].”

Gosnell found that the Specialist Prosecutor’s Office had failed to demonstrate the existence of a genuine possibility of flight and therefore rejected this as grounds for extending his detention.

However, according to the judge’s reasoning, Thaçi could interfere with judicial proceedings under way at the Specialist Chambers or commit other similar offenses. For this reason, he will remain in detention at least until October 2026.

Hashim Thaçi is the only defendant in this case who is still being held at the Detention Center in Scheveningen. Meanwhile, Bashkim Smakaj, Fadil Fazliu and Isni Kilaj have been granted conditional release under 14 conditions, including bail, while Hajredin Kuqi has remained free while defending himself since the proceedings began.

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The Kosovo Prosecutorial Council has rejected the request of five Serbian prosecutors and 15 administrative staff of the Basic Prosecution in Mitrovica to return to their positions, following resignations submitted in November 2022 during the mass abandonment of Kosovo institutions.

At that time, around 130 judges, prosecutors, and administrative staff withdrew from the justice system, while members of the Kosovo Police and local officials in the four northern Serb-majority municipalities—North Mitrovica, Leposavić, Zvečan, and Zubin Potok—followed the same path.

This organized action came in response to the Kosovo Government’s decision to replace Serbian vehicle license plates with those of the Republic of Kosovo, an initiative backed by the Serbian List, the main local Serb party funded by Belgrade.

According to jurist Blerim Burjani, the process of reviewing return applications should be based on an objective analysis, taking into account the reasons for leaving and the possible influences of criminal groups.

Burjani emphasizes that the return should not happen immediately, but in accordance with legal procedures through an open competition, where each applicant has equal chances and promises to act independently of political influences.

“A real and objective assessment is needed, analyzing the intentions and reasons for leaving, the incitement or pressure on them from the criminal structures of Radoičić and Vučić. I think facts and circumstances must be balanced. The request for return must be based on the laws in force. I think a competition should be opened and all those worthy of exercising work independent of politics should apply,” he told “Bota sot”.

“So, I think they, as part of the application, should sign a sworn statement to perform their duties independently of politics and political emotions. I think in a public competition everyone has the right to apply, but not to demand to return as if nothing happened, meaning an automatic return without reasons and motives,” he added.

Meanwhile, the acting President of Kosovo, Albulena Haxhiu, announced that she has signed decrees for the dismissal of seven prosecutors from the Serb community, following the decision of the Kosovo Prosecutorial Council.

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The Supreme Court has rejected an appeal by Tirana Mayor Erion Veliaj challenging the decision to suspend the pretrial detention time limits.

Veliaj had appealed to the Supreme Court against the decision to suspend the calculation of the pretrial detention time limits following postponements of hearings in the trial on the merits of the case.

With its ruling, the Supreme Court upheld the position of the Special Jurisdiction Court of First Instance, rejecting the appeal filed by Veliaj.

The request reviewed by the Supreme Court concerned the decision to suspend the pretrial detention time limits.

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At the session on July 20, the Kosovo Prosecutorial Council rejected the request of five prosecutors and 15 administrative employees from the Serb community, who had asked to withdraw their resignations submitted in November 2022. They were part of the wave of mass departures of Serbs from Kosovo state institutions.

At that time, around 130 members of the justice system, including judges, prosecutors, and administrative staff, withdrew from their duties in the four northern Serb-majority municipalities: North Mitrovica, Leposaviq, Zveçan, and Zubin Potok. These resignations also extended to the ranks of the Kosovo Police and local administration.

The departures were orchestrated by the Serb List, the dominant political formation of Serbs in Kosovo supported by Belgrade, in reaction to the Kosovo Government’s initiative to convert license plates issued by Serbia to Kosovo ones, practically banning the former.

The proposal to reject the reinstatement came from the Council’s deputy head, Dardan Vuniqi, and was supported by the members. On the other hand, chairman Arian Gashi had suggested postponing the handling of the issue to a later meeting, arguing that a prior consultation with the Kosovo Judicial Council was needed.

The final step for the official removal of Serb prosecutors from the system rests with the acting president, Albulena Haxhiu. In mid-June, she had called on both councils to finalize the procedures without delay, stressing that the delays were harming the regular functioning of the justice system.

Meanwhile, the Kosovo Judicial Council told Radio Free Europe that they have not yet made a decision on similar requests from Serb judges to annul the resignations. They assured that the public will be informed in due time, but did not specify the number of judges and other employees who have expressed a desire to return.

The issue of unresolved resignations received renewed attention in the second half of June. On July 15, the European Union confirmed to Radio Free Europe that this topic is being addressed within the framework of the normalization talks between Kosovo and Serbia.

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