Some users of the IPKO network received a text message from the Kosovo Ministry of Internal Affairs yesterday, reminding them that the deadline for re-registration of vehicles with Serbian markings of towns in Kosovo to RKS ends on October 31. While IPKO claims that the messages were sent at the request of the Kosovan MIA, this Ministry underlined that they were sent as part of the re-registration campaign. The Deputy Ombudsperson confirmed for KoSSev that she requested an investigation be opened due to a „potential violation of human rights“.
Six days before the end of the two-month deadline for the re-registration of vehicles with Serbian markings of towns in Kosovo to RKS, the Kosovo Ministry of Interior sent a call for re-registration to some users of the IPKO mobile network.
„Register your vehicles to RKS, with financial and procedural benefits until October 31st, 2022. Anywhere, regardless of your place of residence. 0800 GO-RKS“ – reads the text message sent by the Kosovan MIA.
Several residents of north Kosovo, including members of our editorial staff, as well as some who live in the south – all users of the IPKO mobile network, confirmed for KoSSev that they received a message yesterday morning from the Kosovo Ministry of Interior.
It remains unknown whether the SMS was sent only to ethnic Serbs or to all citizens, and how exactly the Kosovo MIA obtained the citizens’ phone numbers.
KoSSev contacted the IPKO company regarding the matter, and they said that the messages were sent at the request of the Kosovo Ministry of Interior.
„Please note that IPKO sends these messages as per the request of the Ministry of the Interior. If you require additional information, contact the competent persons in this Ministry,“ their response to KoSSev read.
KoSSev also reached out to this ministry, but no answer arrived by the time the news was published.
KoSSev sent another query to IPKO regarding the nature of the request itself from the Kosovo MIA, i.e. who received the messages, based on what criteria, how was the selection made, and does the Kosovo ministry have access to the database of users of this company?
However, our questions remained unanswered.
Kosovan MIA: SMS messages are part of the registration campaign
The Kosovo Ministry of Internal Affairs confirmed for Pristina-based Koha that they sent the text messages, and started handing out flyers, as part of the information campaign.
MIA: Increased interest, 18 vehicles re-registered, from November 1, the law is respected everywhere
Nora Fetoshi, the spokeswoman of the Kosovo MIA, told Koha that interest in re-registering vehicles to RKS has increased in recent days.She claims that 18 vehicles have been re-registered so far (region 06 – 6 cars, region 02 – 7 cars, region 04 – 3 cars, region 01 – 2 cars).
On the other hand, the Ministry of Internal Affairs stated that „great pressure from illegal structures“ is at work.„Since the first day of vehicle registration, we have had great interest from our citizens, the same interest from governments in the north, but propaganda has been spread by the heads of the Serbian state and great pressure from illegal structures in the north, which respond to every consent of citizens to legalization in their daily life with pressure, threats, and attacks,“ she said.
This ministry, on the other hand, called for greater international pressure on Serbia.
At the same time, they announced that starting from November 1st, Kosovo institutions will „ensure that order and the rule of law are present everywhere in Kosovo.“
„Our police and customs will act in accordance with the laws of the country. In the meantime, we will continue the intensive campaign throughout Kosovo so that this process will be completed by October 31.“
The deputy ombudsperson seeks an investigation into the potential violation of human rights
The Deputy Ombudsperson of Kosovo, Marija Radulovic, told KoSSev that she learned about the text messages from the media, and that she had taken the first step within her competencies.
„I immediately, in accordance with my powers, forwarded it to the Ombudsperson and requested the opening of an ex officio investigation because I believe that there is room for investigation,” said Radulovic.
She indicated that the next step depends on the Ombudsperson.
„The Ombudsperson decides whether an investigation will be opened or not,“ she added.
The Deputy Ombudsperson specified that such an investigation should, as a first step, determine whether the text messages were actually sent by the Kosovo MIA or not.
„If this is confirmed, then the Kosovo Ministry of Internal Affairs needs to specify to whom these messages were sent, on what basis, selection type, whether the messages were sent only to Serbs or not, who gave them numbers,“ stressed Radulovic.
The Deputy Ombudsperson says that she believes that there is room to open an investigation.
„I believe that there is a potential violation of human rights. I can’t say that it is a violation (of human rights), but that an investigation should be opened,“ explained Radulovic.
The two-month deadline for the re-registration of vehicles with Serbian markings of towns in Kosovo to RKS plates ends in five days. The US, the Quint countries, as well as the European Union have all recently called on the Kosovo government to extend the deadline for the implementation of its decision on re-registration by 10 months.
The Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, announced yesterday, however, that there will be no extensions.
Preuzimanje i objavljivanje tekstova sa portala KoSSev nije dozvoljeno bez navođenja izvora. Hvala na poštovanju etike novinarske profesije.
