FOTO: EO
Kosovo’s Minister for Communities and Returns, Nenad Rašić, has rejected claims that he supported a government decision to establish a working group tasked with coordinating a strategy for the appeals proceedings involving four former Kosovo Liberation Army leaders before the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague.
The dispute followed a KoSSev report published on October 14, which covered both the Kosovo government’s decision and a reaction by Petar Petković, the head of the Serbian Government’s Office for Kosovo and Metohija.
Petković accused Rašić of supporting the decision and used particularly harsh language, claiming that by doing so the Kosovo Serb minister had “spat on Serbian victims”.
KoSSev reported Petković’s remarks as his own political claims and did not state that Rašić had personally taken part in the vote. On the contrary, the report explicitly noted that Rašić had not attended the government meeting at which the decision was adopted.
The same article also cited a report by Kosovo Online concerning Rašić’s position on the decision.
Kosovo Online had, in turn, relied on Gazeta Express, which reported that it had spoken directly to Rašić on the day of the government meeting.
According to Gazeta Express, Rašić said that he had not attended the meeting because he was travelling, but indicated that the decision had been taken with his approval.
“I wasn’t at the meeting. I’m travelling. But I believe they approved it,” Gazeta Express quoted him as saying.
Asked whether his deputy minister had received his approval to vote in favour of the decision, Rašić reportedly replied:
“Yes, I believe so.”
It was this reported statement, rather than an assumption that Rašić had personally voted, that formed the basis for describing his position towards the decision as one of support.
Ministry sends denial
A day later, the Ministry for Communities and Returns sent KoSSev a denial, which KoSSev published in full.
The ministry said that Rašić had not attended the government session and insisted that no deputy minister had voted on the decision, arguing that deputy ministers do not have voting rights at government meetings.
It accused Petković of making “unfounded and politically motivated accusations” and also criticised KoSSev, claiming that the outlet had carried unverified information and created a misleading impression about Rašić’s role.
The ministry further argued that allegations that Rašić had supported the decision damaged his personal and professional integrity and amounted to political discrediting based on inaccurate claims.
It also said that victims should not be used for political confrontation and turned its criticism back on Petković, asking who had negotiated, and on whose behalf, over the integration of Serbian health institutions in Kosovo, including facilities in Pasjane and the Kosovo Pomoravlje region.
What KoSSev reported
KoSSev did not report that Rašić personally voted for the government decision.
Its October 14 report explicitly stated that he was not present at the meeting.
Petković’s accusation that Rašić had supported the decision was clearly attributed to Petković, a Serbian government official and the head of the institution responsible for Belgrade’s Kosovo-related policy.
At the same time, the description of Rašić’s position as support for the decision was not based solely on Petković’s statement.
Gazeta Express had already published comments attributed directly to Rašić in which he said that he believed his deputy had acted with his approval.
Kosovo Online subsequently carried that report and identified Gazeta Express as the source. KoSSev then cited Kosovo Online.
For greater clarity, KoSSev notes that the reference to Rašić’s support for the decision was based on the statement attributed to him by Gazeta Express and later carried by Kosovo Online. The original report also made clear that Rašić himself was not present at the government meeting.
Petković’s statement that Rašić had “spat on Serbian victims” was presented solely as Petković’s own wording and does not reflect KoSSev’s editorial position.
What the government decision concerns
The controversy concerns a decision by the Kosovo government to establish a working group that will coordinate legal, institutional and diplomatic support linked to the appeals proceedings involving former KLA leaders Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, Rexhep Selimi and Jakup Krasniqi.
Prime Minister Albin Kurti described the first-instance judgment against them as unjust, both legally and morally, and said the government wanted a coordinated state and national strategy in the appeals process.
The working group is to be headed by Deputy Prime Minister Glauk Konjufca and include representatives of Kosovo institutions and parliament.
The four former KLA leaders were convicted at first instance by the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague on war crimes charges. Their cases are now moving into the appeals stage.
Preuzimanje i objavljivanje tekstova sa portala KoSSev nije dozvoljeno bez navođenja izvora. Hvala na poštovanju etike novinarske profesije.