Kosovo’s current Justice Minister, Albulena Haxhiu, has recently been in the public spotlight due to numerous statements she has made, including those regarding the case of Faton Hajrizi and her comments about the media. Haxhiu asserts that Serbia is responsible for both issues—a view also shared by her colleagues. However, the Justice Minister is also facing criticism for alleged interference in Kosovo’s judiciary.
Haxhiu Last Week: Connection Between Serbian Criminal Structures and Prisoner Escapes
Haxhiu publicly asserted that the Office of the Special Prosecutor „obstructs her work,“ alleging that the prosecutor spends more time on Facebook than on legal duties.
She made this claim to reporters after being questioned for two hours at the Special Prosecutor’s Office last week.
Over the next two days, Haxhiu made further statements about her Facebook post, suggesting that some prisoner escapes in Kosovo, including Hajrizi’s, were facilitated by criminal groups allegedly linked to Serbian authorities.
„It is important to highlight that the escape of certain individuals wanted by the responsible institutions in the Republic of Kosovo always leads to one direction: towards the territory of Serbia. Our authorities’ data indicate that, in some cases, these escapes were created, organized, co-organized, and facilitated by criminal groups connected with authorities in Serbia,“ Haxhiu said following her questioning.
„This organization ensures that such individuals are protected from prosecution by the Republic of Kosovo on Serbian territory, provided by local criminal groups and certain levels of government. This shield not only prevents extradition but also obstructs any information sharing with Kosovo’s judicial authorities, deliberately and systematically, to undermine the public, constitutional, and legal order of the Republic of Kosovo.“
Haxhiu Now: I Did Not Claim Serbia Has Influence Over Kosovo’s Prisons
Today, however, Haxhiu made a different claim.
„I did not say that Serbia has influence over Kosovo’s prisons, though that is what some responsible authorities suggest. If people understand it that way, I am not responsible. It is crucial for institutions like the prosecutor to fully cooperate with the Kosovo Intelligence Agency (KIA). Where there was cooperation, we succeeded. The espionage case is the latest example. I mentioned that our authorities’ information suggests that some prison escapes were carried out by criminal groups. In the latest case, there is still debate about whether the individual was killed,“ said Haxhiu.
For days, Haxhiu has made serious accusations against Belgrade, alleging that Serbian authorities have „a clear chauvinistic and ethno-political agenda.“
Latest Statement: Possible Link Between Lithium and the Murder of a Serb Policeman?
During a guest appearance on KTV’s „60 Minutes,“ Haxhiu also connected the lithium mining contract in Serbia with the murder of a Serbian police officer and the pursuit of Faton Hajrizi.
„The incident occurred on the eve of the signing of a lithium contract in Serbia, and the site of the policeman’s death is just 9 kilometers from the planned mining site. There were warnings of protests, and when this incident occurred, the location was isolated with no immediate response.“
Haxhiu Supports Agim Musliu’s Claims
Haxhiu was not the first to make such claims, even though she publicly presented them on Monday. About ten days ago, a day after Faton Hajrizi’s murder, Agim Musliu, who presents himself as a security expert and director of the Octopus Institute, also suggested a connection between lithium and Hajrizi’s case.
“Loznica, a settlement in Serbia, is expected to be a lithium mining site in the future. The protests from green Serbs could become an issue. During Chancellor Scholz’s announced visit to manage the situation as best as possible, the pro-Russian government of Vučić, which is trying to survive anyway, claimed that an Albanian (Faton Hajrizi) carried out a terrorist attack by killing a Serbian policeman. Two days later, the Albanian who had escaped from the Kosovo prison was also killed. Interesting, all this (happened) within a very narrow area and within a period of 3 days!” Musliu said on X.
Three days in #Loznica, #Serbia.
Loznica, a settlement in Serbia, is expected to be a #lithium mine in the future. The protests of the green Serbs could become a problem, during the announced visit of the 🇩🇪chancellor @Bundeskanzler !
To manage the situation as best as… pic.twitter.com/sacIN256ej— Agim Musliu (@agim_musliu) July 20, 2024
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Musliu told the Kosovo Press news agency that the SOC uses not only primitive Russian methods but also provocative trends, such as the ringing of bells from the Church of St. Nicholas in Pristina. This agency reported that residents around the church were „disturbed“ by the „noise“ of these bells, which were rung in the name of „fighting the coronavirus.“
„We are witnessing a deliberate spread of misinformation from Moscow regarding the humanitarian disaster caused by this virus. The Russians do not even spare their Orthodox believers to suit their purposes. On the other hand, it is clear that people from the Serbian secret service are circulating through all churches, even this one. Where the Serbian secret service is present, the Russian secret service is also involved. Thus, one can safely conclude that this chaos originates from Moscow. The world knows that wherever there are Orthodox churches, there are also their agents,” Musliu told Kosovo Press at the time.
Latest Criticisms of the Justice Minister Regarding the Work of the Constitutional Court
The Justice Minister has also criticized the Constitutional Court’s work.
„How many more days does the Constitutional Court need? It has been over a month since the Court announced its decision on the Law on the State Bureau for Verification and Confiscation of Unjustified Assets, but the full verdict has not yet been published. Consequently, it has been 518 days since the Court started dealing with this crucial reform. Such delays continue to undermine the reform and impact citizens,“ she wrote on her Facebook page.
Previously, Finance Minister Hekuran Murati also made similar criticisms. According to Pristina media reports, the Constitutional Court’s decision at the end of June sided with the Kosovo government on the Law on Minimum Wages, but that decision has yet to be published a month after the initial announcement.
Haxhiu’s statements and actions continue to attract public attention and reactions, including criticisms.
Former President of the Court of Appeals Hasan Shala recently assessed that Haxhiu behaves more like a „militant of her party“ rather than a minister.
This is not the first time Haxhiu has criticized the work of the Constitutional Court and the prosecution in general. She has made multiple statements both before and after judicial processes.
Provided the Prosecution with Information on alleged Vučić’s Influence on Albanian-Language Portals
Kosovo is also grappling with a scandal concerning the transmission of parts of a news item initially published by Slobodna Bosna about alleged Vučić’s influence on two Albanian-language portals via Kosovo Public Broadcaster.
Officials from the Self-Determination Movement, including Haxhiu, soon began promoting the news before media associations, experts, and the opposition raised concerns about a brutal campaign against media freedom and journalists’ safety.
„You saw the news on RTK, where Nacionale and Periskopi are mentioned in this case. It was published on RTK. I also provided the Prosecution with information about this news. This is a credible media outlet (Slobodna Bosna). I presented what I saw to the prosecution,“ said the Justice Minister.
The Kosovo Journalists’ Association has condemned the statement as scandalous, expressing shock and highlighting Haxhiu’s interference in the judiciary.
Preuzimanje i objavljivanje tekstova sa portala KoSSev nije dozvoljeno bez navođenja izvora. Hvala na poštovanju etike novinarske profesije.
