When the president speaks as a prosecutor: Journalists targeted, names missing

Osmani has spoken of several so-called journalists”, who she said the public would be shocked “if it knew that “what illegal activities are taken, according to our security institutions”.

She made that statement on Facebook. September 10th, in a response to what the president described as the “constant, illegal, dangerous persecution that the media make to my minor daughters”.

What did Osman say during his conversation with reporters?

One day later, a conversation at the Presidency with a group of journalistsOsman was asked to clarify whether journalists were investigated by the Kosovo Intelligence Agency for illegal activities and why you are not showing who it is about.

The first “, no journalists were investigated, someone else investigated, had been investigated, the Radoiccies --” -- said Osmani, referring to Milan Radoicqi, former Serbian List deputy chairman who has claimed responsibility for the armed attack on Kosovo Police on Zvecan Banjska in September 2023.

For this case, which Kosovo calls a terrorist attack, authorities blame Serbia, but Belgrade denies any responsibility.

Therefore, Radojicicci himself, and others who allegedly participated in the Banjska attack, Kosovo has filed an indictment.

However, Radojic is believed to be at large in Serbia, as Kosovo repeatedly demands that he be extradited so he can face justice.

There's no need to investigate some journalists. Or, more clearly, I don't want to mention the term journalist because I don't want to put you in the sack with people like that. When Radoici is investigated, their collaborators emerge and, of course, our security institutions have state duty, moral duty, legal duty to investigate to the end any co-operation that has endangered the Republic of Kosovo, including coup plans, including various threats that have been made and made to Kosovo. For this reason, security institutions” exist, Osmani said.

But, according to her, this does not mean that journalists have been investigated, but other people have been investigated “and that then a lot of evidence has emerged”.

“Why didn't I say it earlier” asked rhetorical questions. Because, she added, the investigations are being continued by security institutions and “is their assessment that we should not go public with names and surnames, because this would hinder investigations, and I don't want to prevent investigations”.

The “E know who they are, they have the fly behind their ears, so they also attack me because of attitudes against the Serbian List because they don't have how to succeed in the attacks on me, they try to attack my minor girls. This is completely political. But no journalists have been investigated. And neither have I, as president, ever sought to investigate any journalists from security institutions, which, to be honest, have done an extraordinary job in preventing many of Serbia's attacks in relation to Kosovo”, Osmani added.

To prevent any attack by Serbia, according to Osmani, Kosovo's enemies -- those who committed the <x0-second terrorist acts -- those who have committed acts of aggression -- are planning again to attack Kosovo”.

Now, along the way to the investigation, it turns out that, unfortunately, there's everything there that worked with them. But I don't decontinate their security institutions with their investigative rules. It is their assessment not to come up with names and surnames, and not just for this case, but for many other cases, without completing investigations”, Osman said.

And when asked if it would be more correct to speak with concrete names about what journalists are talking about, Osman admitted it, and said that the moment security institutions give her the green light, she'll speak with concrete names.

But, the first of the state said that even with the mention it was made in this case, no investigations are hindered.

There's no preventing the investigation if I say you're shocked, any citizen of the Republic would be shocked to see that. But, for these things I will wait until the moment when security institutions estimate that no investigations” are prevented, Osmani said.

Reactions for Osman's Declarations

Osman's statements were condemned by the Association of Kosovo Journalists (AGK), who said these “akuza and the president's insulin” jeopardise the journalists' physical security.

“The AGK strongly condemns President Osmani's accusation and promotional rhetoric during the press conference, as it directly jeopardises journalists' physical security. Osmani has again referred to AKI reports to strengthen charges “for some journalists”, which AGK thinks questioned the legal security, not only of journalists, but also of each Kosovo citizen”, was said in response.

The AGK called on the security bodies to plead on these charges, which he described as grave, and said they serve as a <x0 threat openly to journalists, in an effort to stop their work of asking questions in public interest”.

Lulzim Peci from the Kosovar Institute for Research and Development of Politics (KIPRED) reacted as well on Facebook regarding the “rcut state” mentioned by Osmani.

According to him, the coup in a state can only make its army or segments.

“The mention of the coup is a blow to the Kosovo Army itself and the staff of as excellent”, he said.

According to Peci, “crust constitutional states can make parties and leaders of institutions”.

Even Ilir Deda, former Kosovo Assembly President, said the coup is done only by the military, raising the question whether the Kosovo Security Force has been part of the “a coup plan”.

If it was, then were KSF members arrested for participating in coup plans?

When the president is directly locked in spreading false news about inner enemies and makes targets for flyers after the ear, Kosovo begins to look like Russia of Belarus”, Deda added, citing two states where independent media are being printed.

Otherwise, Kosovo has marked the largest regregation in 15 years in terms of press freedom this year, according to the non-governmental organisation Reporters Without Borders. In its World Press Freedom Index for 2025, Kosovo ranks 99th out of 180 countries.

Reporters Without Borders said journalists are often the target of false insults and news on social networks. They, according to the report, are falsely charged with co-operation with the enemy, rhetoric used by political and religious groups”.