Shocks and stones on journalists, all reactions to violence in Leposaviq

According to police, journalists were conveying the visit of Local Power Management Minister Elbert Krasniqi to Leposaviqi Mayor Lulzim Hetemi.

The event has occurred near the site of the Leposaviqi municipality, where according to police, individuals or criminal groups have dropped “a tool, suspected fellow bomb, and physically, brutally, several Kosovo media journalists”.

Kosovo police, through an announcement, have said that based on information available so far “it is about nine attacked journalists who have been on official duty to convey developments near the Leposaviqi municipality”, where some of them have suffered various bodily injuries, as well as accepted medical treatment.

In addition to physical attacks and violence exercised against journalists, they have been damaged by various video equipment, where one of them has been robbed by the official media camera, while the other has been robbed of a cell phone”, the Kosovo Police report said.

Attacks on journalists, Kosovo Police have named them “obstruction in carrying out the task, violating free speech, preventing reflection of the real situation”.

“Sulmet and physical violence, as well as damage to vehicles and official equipment, are criminal acts that will be investigated by Kosovo Police”, says the Kosovo Police report, which has added that in co-operation and co-ordination with justice organs, “cases have already been initiated against official persons, the destruction or damage to property and the body”.

AGK: Journalists target brutal attacks on Leposaviq

The association of Kosovo Journalists (AGK) has announced that the journalists' teams from Pristina “have been the target of a brutal attack” by protesters in Leposavic, while they were doing their job.

According to AGK, the public servant's cameraman, Kosovo Radio Television, Bardh Bekteshi has been physically attacked and has suffered serious head and body injuries.

Besides physical assault, Becketshi has also been broken by a tape camera”, AGK report said.

This association has published a video of an attack on journalists in Leposavic.

According to a statement to AGK, journalist Venera Jojaj, has indicated that protesters have stoned the media teams, Tv1, RTV Dukagini, RTK, Klan Kosova and KTV.

And we've been stoned, and some colleagues have been walking away, and our cameraman, Bardh Becketshi, have pushed him down and then physically attacked, causing head and body injuries””, Joxhay told AGK.

The Kosovo Journalists' association urgently appealed to the Kosovo Police, and the international presence in this municipality, to provide security to journalists and cameramen who are staying in that municipality”, says the AGK response, which has strongly condemned the attack.

AGK has reported that body injury has also taken over Albin Cantman, Vv1 cameraman.

Among the injured journalists is cameraman Albin Cantman, who has suffered injuries on his feet. Currently, the team is making statements to Kosovo Police”, AGK has said.

This association has reported that among those injured there is the journalist of Arbresh.info, Pleatt Salihu, whose attackers have broken his arm. Meanwhile, RTV Dukagjin journalist Dorentina Thaqi has been stoned to the head.

Injured journalists, according to the AGK, have received their first medical assistance just got out of the way, as they called it the <x0.> the danger area”.

In its announcement, the AGK has also stressed that the attack on journalists in Leposaviq has occurred, in the presence of NATO peacekeeping mission troops in Kosovo, KFOR.

“ ... The same have not reacted, but have prevented journalists from leaving”, he said. AGK, adding that it requires KFOR not to prevent journalists from reporting, “since they are not offering you”.

The AGK has said that all attacks on journalists, which occurred during their reports from the country's north, would be informed of international organisations dealing with journalists' safety and media freedom.

Osmani: Strikers Must Face Justice

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani has reacted to the attack on journalists in northern Kosovo.

She has said journalists were brutally assaulted by, as she has called them criminal gangs.

Osmani has stressed that the “that have carried out these attacks must face justice” and that their “efforts to destabilise Kosovo will fail”.

These terrible acts of continued violence must be punished by all. Law rule will prevail”, Osman wrote.

Kurti: Unacceptable attacks on journalists

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti has also condemned the attack on journalists in the country's north, calling them unacceptable.

“Sulmet physical to those who report from the ground are absolutely unacceptable and must be punished by all parties who are otherwise vocal about the” situation, Kurti wrote on Twitter.

US: Consistent Attacks on North Journalists · Global Voices
The attacks on journalists in Leposaviq also condemned the US Embassy in Kosovo.

“Wants continued attacks on journalists in northern Kosovo, including today. We repeat our call for the media to be able to work without violence and intimidation”, said in a post of this embassy on Twitter.

Earlier, it was reported that a group of Serb protesters in Leposaviq municipality in northern Kosovo attempted to enter the municipal object, believing that a meeting is under way between Kosovo's Local Power Minister Elbert Krasniqi and the mayor, Lulzim Hetemi.

Protesters later withdrew behind the fence that NATO mission soldiers KFOR had decided in advance in front of the municipality building.

In the municipal building in Leposaviq, as well as in the other two Serb majority municipalities in northern Kosovo Zvecan and Zubin Potok local and Serbian self-government are located at the same site.

That is why members of the Serbian community protest since the end of May they do not want to allow Albanian mayors of municipalities to work from municipal buildings. / REL