The National Audit Office (NAO) organized a workshop on Wednesday, during which it presented the findings and recommendations of the performance audit report, “Student Safety in Public Schools in Kosovo.”

In addition to senior NAO officials, the meeting was attended by Minister of Education and Science Hajrulla Çeku, Kosovo Police Director Gazmend Hoxha, Deputy Ombudsperson Anita Çavdarbasha-Korenica, and representatives of the responsible institutions, municipalities, and civil society organizations working in the field of education. Participants discussed the audit’s conclusions and the importance of institutional coordination in improving safety in public schools.

Auditor General Vlora Spanca stressed that ensuring student safety cannot be left to a single institution. According to her, it requires a continuous chain of responsibility and cooperation among institutions. Spanca said mechanisms have been established and initiatives developed to improve safety in schools, but they do not yet operate as a coordinated, standardized, and fully effective system.

She emphasized that ensuring children’s safety requires the implementation of the audit recommendations, better interinstitutional coordination, comprehensive reporting of cases, and a swift, joint response. Spanca said the NAO would monitor the implementation of the recommendations, expressing the expectation that institutional commitments would translate into concrete, measurable, and sustainable measures.

Minister of Education and Science Hajrulla Çeku praised the NAO’s work in conducting the audit and described school safety as one of the most important issues facing Kosovo’s education system. He said the report’s findings and recommendations provide a useful roadmap for improving work and performance. Çeku stressed that responsibility for safety is shared and that creating a safe environment requires everyone’s involvement. According to him, the audit was published at an important time, as the Ministry of Education has begun drafting the Education Strategy, for which he sought the input and support of all parties.

Kosovo Police Director Gazmend Hoxha said school safety remains a priority for the Kosovo Police and a key pillar in building a secure future for our society. He said schools serve not only to educate children, but also as places where they shape their personalities, develop their skills, and prepare for the future. Hoxha emphasized that creating and maintaining a safe, peaceful, and inclusive environment in educational institutions is a shared responsibility, while the police remain committed to fulfilling this mission.

Deputy Ombudsperson Anita Çavdarbasha-Korenica presented the work of the Ombudsperson Institution from a human rights perspective. She spoke about the initiatives undertaken, the results achieved, and the recommendations addressed to the responsible institutions. Çavdarbasha-Korenica said that, with regard to children’s rights and based on the standards of the European Court of Human Rights, safety must come before education, and therefore everyone must work together toward this goal.

The audit results were presented in detail by Ariana Gjonbalaj, Director of the Audit Department. During the discussion, representatives of the responsible institutions, municipalities, and civil society organizations working in education focused on the report’s findings and the implementation of the audit recommendations.

At the end of the workshop, Deputy Auditor General Bezad Halilaj said the participants had praised the report and its results. He stressed that the NAO’s recommendations are valuable and can help the responsible institutions take the necessary measures to improve safety in Kosovo’s schools, describing this as a shared mission.

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The National Audit Office (NAO) has published a performance audit report entitled “Implementation of Procurement Procedures for the Routine and Winter Maintenance of the A7 and A6 Motorways of the Republic of Kosovo for 2025–2028.” It found that the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport had not ensured that the procurement process was fully conducted in accordance with the principles of economy, efficiency, equal treatment and non-discrimination.

According to the NAO, the procedure, with an estimated value of €15.9 million and a duration of 36 months, had been launched just 36 days before the existing contracts expired. As a result, the period for submitting bids had been reduced from 40 to 21 days.

However, shortening the deadline had not produced the intended result. The opening of bids had been postponed five times, while the procedure had lasted around five months because of requests for reconsideration, an appeal to the Procurement Review Body and changes to the tender dossier. Since the open procedure had not been completed before the start of the winter season, the Ministry had turned to negotiated procedures to avoid interrupting motorway maintenance.

Through four negotiated contracts, each lasting six months, approximately €2.8 million had been paid by July 2026. The NAO assessed that using this form of procurement had narrowed competition and provided less transparency compared with the open procedure.

Problems were also identified during the review of the bids. In several cases, the Evaluation Committee had not requested the necessary explanations regarding technical, formal or methodological ambiguities, even though clarifying them would not have substantially changed the content of the bid. According to the audit, this had increased the risk that economic operators would not be treated fully equally.

The report also found that the Ministry had not examined all possible combinations of compliant bids for the four lots. Another combination identified by the auditors would have resulted in an overall unit price around 15% lower than that of the contracted combination. Consequently, the Ministry had not selected the most economical option and had lost the opportunity to carry out more services with the allocated budget.

The report also noted significant differences between the prices submitted in the bids and the Ministry’s reference values. In Lot Three, 77 of a total of 113 items, or 68% of them, had been offered at prices more than 90% lower than the reference prices.

In certain cases, items that the Ministry had calculated at €180 or €240 had been bid at just €0.10 per unit. No documented analysis had been prepared for these differences, and the economic operators had not been asked for sufficient explanations. According to the NAO, this had increased the possibility of difficulties arising during the implementation and administration of the contracts.

Regarding the integrity of the procedure, the audit had identified circumstances that could potentially constitute a conflict of interest. The chair of the Evaluation Committee had previously had a professional engagement with the economic operator that had been declared the winner of one of the lots. The Ministry had not assessed or addressed these circumstances, and the matter had not been referred to the competent authority, creating uncertainty about the impartiality and credibility of the evaluation.

Auditor General Vlora Spanca said that launching procedures on time, setting clear criteria and documenting the evaluation of bids were essential for fair competition and greater value for public money. She called on the Ministry to strengthen controls at every stage of procurement, particularly during price analysis, the selection of the most economical combination of bids, and the prevention and management of situations that could cause a conflict of interest.

To improve procurement and ensure more efficient use of public funds, the National Audit Office has issued seven recommendations to the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport.

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PDK MP Ganimete Musliu said that she was physically assaulted by a police officer during Wednesday’s plenary session of the Assembly. She said that she and PDK Secretary-General Vlora Çitaku had reported the officer to the Kosovo Police Inspectorate (PIK) over the incident.

Musliu said they had asked the PIK to investigate the police officer’s actions. She stressed that, as a member of the Parliamentary Committee on Security, she has worked with dedication for 15 consecutive years to ensure that the Kosovo Police remains professional, depoliticized and has integrity, and therefore could not remain silent in the face of such an incident.

According to her, the response is intended not only to protect her personally, but first and foremost to safeguard the Kosovo Police as an institution and preserve its integrity. Musliu said that any possibility of the Police being placed under the orders or influence of any political party must be prevented.

In addition to holding the officer accountable, the MP demanded to know who called the Kosovo Police into the chamber where plenary sessions are held and who authorized their presence and intervention there. She said this information should be disclosed to both the Assembly and the public.

Musliu said that during a constitutive session in which the Assembly has yet to be constituted, procedural rules stipulate that the Police may be called into the chamber, if necessary, only by the person mandated to chair the session. For this reason, she requested public clarification as to whether, in this particular case, the request had been made by Avni Dehari.

She asked who gave the order, who called the Police and on what grounds they intervened in the Assembly chamber. According to Musliu, these are not personal matters, but questions concerning institutional accountability.

The MP stressed that when the Police enter the Assembly chamber and an MP is physically assaulted, the investigation should not be limited solely to the officer who carried out the act. According to her, the entire chain of command and responsibility that led the Police there must also be examined.

Musliu reiterated that she has worked for 15 years to ensure that the Kosovo Police remains professional, independent and has integrity, and therefore would not remain silent at a time when, according to her, these principles need to be defended more than ever. She said the Police must serve the law and the Republic of Kosovo, not political orders, while calling on all police officers and civil servants in the country to remain faithful to the law, the Constitution and their professional duties, without submitting to any dictate, pressure or political order that undermines the independence and integrity of state institutions.

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Over a 24-hour period, the Emergency Center of the University Clinical Center of Kosovo (UCCK) provided 317 medical services to patients requiring urgent care.

UCCK data show that 94 patients were treated in the resuscitation unit, 87 in the internal medicine emergency unit, while the surgical and orthopedic emergency units each provided services to 56 patients.

In the Minor Surgery Room, 24 patients received treatment, including suturing, wound care and wound cleaning.

During the same period, the Emergency Center treated eight people involved in physical altercations, as well as 30 people injured in traffic accidents.

For further treatment, 28 patients were admitted to various UCCK clinics. Two deaths were also recorded in the 24-hour report.

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Kosovo’s acting Prime Minister, Albin Kurti, attended the publication ceremony of the report documenting crimes committed during the armed conflict.

Addressing the audience, he emphasized that the data in this document are essential for recording the atrocities that Serbian forces committed in Kosovo at the end of the last century.

“This report serves as an institutional confirmation of the high price we paid for the freedom we enjoy today. It embodies people, existences, children, and stories that cannot simply be summed up in figures, but which our state has an obligation to record meticulously, with honor and responsibility. For the time frame of January 1, 1998 – June 20, 1999, a total of 12,230 victims of the war in Kosovo have been registered. Every figure represents our relatives who were taken from us, families that were torn apart, and the void and pain that are still felt,” Kurti stated.

He highlighted the heavy weight of the Serbian atrocities, mentioning the fact that they struck even the youngest.

“A particularly heavy burden is borne by the crimes exercised against minors. The document records that in the age group 0–17 years we have: 1,047 children executed, 94 others lost their lives as a result of the circumstances of the conflict, while for 100 forcibly disappeared children, neither their fate nor their location is yet known.

The elimination of more than a thousand children, beyond being a tragic statistic, is an unhealable wound for our society. It is a continuous indictment against the savagery of war and an obligation for our state that the truth be recorded, justice be sought, and memory be protected,” he added.

Kurti announced that during the March–June period alone, 9,948 people were killed, which constitutes approximately 81.3% of all victims registered in this report (12,230).

According to him, this fact demonstrates the horror experienced by the civilian population in the most intensive phase of the war.

“The list is preliminary, but this does not mean the work has remained unfinished. It shows that the institute will continue to update it whenever new documents or testimonies are secured. This is the only path to create an institutional database that defies time and assists future generations.

Therefore, I wish to make an appeal to the families of victims, state institutions, organizations, and every citizen who possesses documents or data of importance, to coordinate actions with the institute. Every new piece of information will be considered with seriousness and according to the same professional scientific methodology.

Because without documentation, memory does not exist. Without memory, justice cannot be achieved. And without justice, there can be no sustainable peace,” he concluded.

Kurti also commented on the event a day earlier in Zubin-Potok, where excavation work began on a mass grave.

“While these excavations are the fruit of the engagement of our institutions, Serbia’s non-fulfillment of the Brussels Declaration on Forcibly Disappeared Persons, agreed upon on May 2, 2023, specifically the refusal to open army files, confirms that the neighboring country continues to evade accountability for the crimes committed in our country during the last war. Therefore, we reiterate our call to international actors to increase pressure on Serbia so that, among other things, the decision on classification be annulled and the archive of the 37th Motorized Brigade of the Yugoslav Army be opened, in order to obtain information to clarify the fate of the forcibly disappeared,” Kurti declared.

This report was drafted by the Institute for Crimes Committed During the War in Kosovo.

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Stafa stated that as soon as he finished filming and set off for Elbasan, he was followed by a vehicle with licence plate AB489YZ. According to his account, the car blocked his way and forced him to stop.

The journalist said he recorded for 20 seconds an excavator extracting aggregates from the Shkumbin River. After getting into his car and joining the road to travel towards Elbasan, a black SUV came up aggressively behind him and flashed its lights to signal that he should stop. He continued driving, while the vehicle came very close on his left side and then pulled in front of him, cutting him off. Stafa said he reversed his car several metres, passed the SUV on the right and continued on his way. According to him, the pursuit lasted around 1 km.

In the report filed with Elbasan Police, Stafa requested a full investigation into the incident, the identification of the people in the vehicle, and the collection and preservation of all evidence. He also called on the responsible institutions to check whether the activity filmed on the Shkumbin River was being carried out in accordance with the law.

The journalist stressed that such actions, which he described as resembling mafia-style acts, would not intimidate him. Stafa said he would continue his work with dedication, without fearing anyone, and would verify and publish in the media every report he receives from citizens. He concluded by stating that such “mafia-style” threats do not frighten him.

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According to the EC’s assessment, government representatives have intensified direct attacks on justice institutions. At the same time, the procedure used to dismiss the Chief Public Prosecutor demonstrated a high risk of politicisation and ended with his resignation.

The report stresses that interference and pressure from other branches of government continue to cause serious concern over respect for judicial independence. Elected officials and government representatives have stepped up personal criticism of judges and public prosecutors, accusing them of corruption, while senior government officials have spoken of plans to “cleanse” the judiciary and prosecution service. According to the document, such statements risk undermining the independence of the judicial system and the principle of separation of powers, while the case involving the dismissal of the Chief Public Prosecutor highlighted potential politicisation and shortcomings in the dismissal rules.

With regard to Parliament, the European Commission notes that there has been some progress in the efficiency of the legislature’s work. However, the practice of passing a large number of important laws through an expedited procedure remains a concern.

Brussels describes the legal amendments adopted in 2023 as one of the main obstacles to combating crimes committed by senior officials. The analysis stresses that high-profile corruption cases almost never reach a final judicial conclusion, creating among citizens a perception of complete impunity.

The work of the Public Prosecutor’s Office in prosecuting organised crime is further hindered by outdated technology, a shortage of prosecutors and insufficient financial resources.

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The report states that the vetting of all judges and prosecutors has been fully completed, following the conclusion of the appeals phase. According to the European Commission, this process has helped further strengthen the independence, integrity and accountability of the justice system.

However, incorporating the high standards of vetting into the regular functioning of the justice system remains a challenge. In this regard, the need to review rules related to the appointment of non-magistrate members to the High Judicial Council and the High Prosecutorial Council is also mentioned.

The European Commission notes that the High Inspector of Justice continues to operate, although it consistently faces a high number of vacancies for magistrate inspectors.

The document stresses that the judicial system has demonstrated resilience, but there have also been attempts at improper influence over justice institutions, as well as personal attacks against magistrates.

Problems also continue to be identified in the timely and adequately high-quality evaluation of judges. Meanwhile, judicial training has improved and the backlog of cases has been partially reduced, but the modern integrated electronic case management system has not yet become fully operational.

The European Commission gives a positive assessment of the implementation of the 2024-2030 Anti-Corruption Strategy and its related action plan for the 2024-2026 period.

According to the European Union, Albania has largely established its legal framework against corruption and has taken significant steps towards alignment with European standards.

The Special Structure Against Corruption and Organised Crime has received particular recognition. The report underlines that SPAK has continued to deliver results in tackling high-level corruption, building a consistent record of investigations, prosecutions and convictions.

On the other hand, the European Commission finds that coordination between institutions responsible for preventing corruption and law enforcement bodies remains weak.

The document stresses that corruption remains present in the State Police, public procurement and other high-risk sectors.

The EU notes that Albania is currently conducting risk assessments in these areas. Progress has also been made in checking asset and interest declarations by the High Inspectorate for Declaration and Audit of Assets and Conflicts of Interest, although some shortcomings have yet to be addressed.

A significant part of the concerns raised in the 2026 report concerns the media. The European Commission questions the independence of the regulatory authority, linking the problems to the method used to appoint board members and to their political affiliations.

Likewise, the limited independence of the public broadcaster remains a matter of concern.

Although measures have been taken to make media ownership more transparent, the concentration of the media market and the influence of business groups with political connections are still regarded as serious problems.

According to the EU, a fair mechanism for measuring audiences, allocating state advertising and distributing other public resources has not yet been ensured. Shortcomings have also been identified in the exercise of the right to access information.

The report highlights the continued occurrence of physical and verbal threats against journalists, smear campaigns targeting them, and strategic lawsuits against public participation, known as SLAPPs.

Criticism is also directed at the legislative process. The European Commission notes that its quality continues to raise concerns, particularly regarding the use of evidence-based policies and the effectiveness of public consultations.

Political polarisation, according to the document, continues to have negative consequences for the work of Parliament. At the same time, the Constitutional Court is commended for the effective role it has continued to play in ensuring checks and balances between institutions.

The report also includes the appointment of a new Ombudsman and a new Commissioner for Protection from Discrimination.

As regards civil society, the European Commission considers that organisations continue to operate freely. However, they face obstacles related to public discrediting, insufficient transparency during policy drafting, unequal consultation practices and difficulties in ensuring financial sustainability.

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According to the head of the mission, Gerard McGurk, the document summarizes seven years of continuous and systematic monitoring of war crimes court proceedings in Kosovo, and presents findings from 48 cases reviewed at the Special Department of the Basic Court in Pristina, KosovaPress reports.

OSCE chief on war crimes trials: Late disclosure or translation delays affect trust

“The period covered by the report is also significant, as it covers the transition of this more demanding form of trial from international hybrid mechanisms to local institutions. The transfer of cases from EULEX, as well as the introduction of in absentia proceedings, were some of the new developments. Seventeen cases have reached final judgment. Also, the consolidation of the role in war crimes trials is in itself progress. The final recommendations are intended to support ongoing efforts to strengthen the administration of justice in line with international standards. The report also notes that during the reporting period, the number of war crimes proceedings increased and that these cases posed practical challenges for judges, prosecutors and defense lawyers. The identified challenges include delays, concerns related to the quality and individualization of some indictments, evidentiary challenges, issues with evidence disclosure and translation, and proceedings held in absentia. Monitoring data showed that one in five hearings were postponed due to the failure of witnesses to appear. Nearly a quarter of the cases that reached trial were affected by changes in the judicial panel, and proceedings sometimes had to start over from the beginning. Late disclosure or delays in translation delayed half of these cases. These issues are not merely technical, but go to the heart of due process and affect trust,” he said.

Acting Chief Prosecutor Agron Qalaj said that the handling of war crimes cases remains among the most sensitive and difficult areas of criminal justice.

Qalaj: In recent years, the Special Prosecution has taken important steps in handling war crimes cases

“For the prosecutorial system, this requires not only institutional commitment, but also professionalism, independence, impartiality and full respect for the law. These cases require a careful and responsible prosecutorial approach. The role of the prosecution is to investigate and prosecute suspicions of serious criminal offenses, while at the same time ensuring that every case brought before the court is based on evidence, prepared accurately and presented in accordance with fair trial standards. In recent years, the Special Prosecution of the Republic of Kosovo has taken important steps in handling war crimes cases. Work in this area has intensified, capacities have gradually developed and institutional attention to this category of cases has increased. This is especially important given the complexity of the cases, the long time that has passed since the alleged events, as well as the evidentiary challenges that usually accompany these proceedings,” Qalaj said.

On the other hand, acting Deputy Justice Minister Genc Nimoni praised the OSCE’s many years of engagement and stressed that addressing war crimes has been one of the government’s priorities.

Nimoni: As a government, addressing war crimes has been one of our priorities

“As the Government of the Republic of Kosovo and as the Ministry of Justice, upon taking office in 2021, we set our priorities. Among these priorities was also addressing war crimes and transitional justice. So, we placed transitional justice among the strategic priorities of the Ministry of Justice, with the aim of ensuring the most comprehensive possible approach to dealing with the past, accountability, documenting crimes and realizing victims’ rights. In this regard, within our competencies and despite many challenges, we have already managed to achieve concrete results, which are naturally linked to the field of war crimes. Cooperation with international mechanisms, including the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, remains another important pillar of this process. This kind of monitoring helps strengthen institutional responsibility and accountability, increasing not only the quality of judicial practice, but also public trust in the justice system,” he said, KosovaPress reports.

Supreme Court President Fejzullah Rexhepi said that not enough has been done so far to bring the perpetrators of war crimes to justice.

According to Rexhepi, thousands of witnesses have died without ever being questioned, while in other cases thousands of testimonies were given but were not properly documented.

Judge Rexhepi: Not enough has been done to bring war crimes perpetrators to justice

“If we ask the question of where the problem lies and whether we have done enough to bring perpetrators to justice, in this case we can say that what was desirable has not been done. We have thousands of witnesses who died without their testimony being taken; we have thousands of others who had the chance to testify, but their testimonies were not properly documented; we have evidence that has been lost or damaged over time. We also have individuals who took an active part in establishing the facts of war crimes, for whom there has still been no final process. This has created a paralyzed situation, in which the state has not truly carried its mission through to the end. In this case, we cannot blame only the Special Prosecution, because since taking on the powers to prosecute war crimes offenses, its capacities have been limited. It has lacked proper support, especially human resources. With the number of prosecutors engaged in prosecuting war crimes and the supporting staff, it has been impossible to do more. Therefore, I think it is the duty of all institutions to show maximum commitment so that the prosecution of war crimes offenses receives full attention,” Rexhepi said, KosovaPress reports.

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The detention center is located behind bars, in the basement of the police station in Rahovec, where people suspected of criminal offenses are taken and mainly held for 48 hours.

A few weeks ago, the IPK carried out an inspection at this center, and the findings show that the situation is not good.

According to the report, hygiene conditions in general were assessed as unsatisfactory.

“Hygiene conditions in the rooms were assessed as inadequate, as food waste was found in the rooms (yogurt bottles, water bottles, used paper, etc.), while the toilets and sinks are not cleaned sufficiently. The mattresses and pillows are stained and there is a lack of sheets to cover the mattresses. In general, the level of cleanliness inside the Center’s facilities is not adequate. The station has two civilian employees engaged as cleaners and uses a contract for cleaning blanket covers in holding centers in Kosovo Police facilities. Despite these capacities, the level of hygiene inside the Center’s facilities is assessed as unsatisfactory.”

The report also highlights another, even more serious concern.

“During the inspection, the IPK encountered such dangerous items inside the Detention Center’s facilities. In the laundry room within the Detention Center’s premises, the door of which was found open, hard objects were found (a concrete brick, shovel, table, chair, cables and other hard metal objects). The presence of equipment and hard objects that are potentially dangerous poses a serious risk to the safety of detainees and supervising officers at the Center. Although the removal of dangerous items from these areas had been recommended in the past, the inspection reflects a failure to act toward raising the security standard.”

As a result, seven recommendations were sent to the responsible institutions. In a written response, the Gjakova Regional Police said that four of them were implemented immediately, while three others are being implemented in cooperation with other police units, Dukagjini reports.

Lawyer Meshar Selimaj said that similar conditions are found not only in Rahovec, but also in other detention centers at police stations.

“So it is not only the one in Rahovec, but also the one in Gjakova and many other centers that need attention, and from what we have seen during this time, the way these detention centers have been managed has left much to be desired, which fortunately have not lasted more than 48 hours, so the people who stayed there had the good fortune, amid this bad situation, not to remain there for more than 48 hours,” he said.

At the end of last year, at this police station in Rahovec, a detainee had managed to escape after forcing open the door of the detention room, but was later quickly caught by police officers and returned there again.

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