The European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX) and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Mission in Kosovo have commended the recent decision by Kosovo’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and Kosovo Police to address the use of social media by police officers. Although neither EULEX nor the OSCE explicitly referenced a recent study by five Northern Kosovo NGOs that examined this issue, their statements came shortly after the study’s publication.
Civil society groups in Northern Kosovo have interpreted the international missions’ support as implicit acknowledgment of the findings in their report. The NGOs emphasized that existing Kosovo laws already regulate such issues and called for immediate enforcement of sanctions for previous violations.
Key Findings of the NGO Study
Five NGOs—New Social Initiative, Center for Affirmative Social Actions (CASA), Institute for Territorial Economic Development (InTER), Advocacy Center for Democratic Culture (ACDC), and Aktiv—published a study titled „The Ethnicization of the Kosovo Police: Undermining the Ahtisaari Foundations of a Civic and Multiethnic Institution.“ The report highlights what they describe as the promotion of nationalism by monitored members of the Kosovo Police through their social media activity.
The study is based on a database of 140 photos collected from social media, featuring over 300 individuals purported to be police officers. These images showcase symbols such as the Albanian flag, „Greater Albania“ emblems, depictions of Adem Jashari, and UÇK insignias. Some images even reportedly show police officers making gestures symbolizing the Albanian eagle, posing with official vehicles, or displaying flags from police cars.
The report also notes instances where these posts were accompanied by nationalist music, some of which called for violence.
The study outlines violations of at least 13 provisions of the administrative guidelines governing police conduct in Kosovo. These include prohibitions on displaying religious or ethnic symbols, unauthorized modifications to police insignias or equipment, and unethical social media behavior that damages the police’s image.
International Missions Offer Assistance
Five days after this study was published, EULEX welcomed the Kosovo MIA’s initiative to develop a regulatory framework for the responsible use of social media by police officers, offering their expertise to ensure a balance between freedom of expression and the police’s impartial role.
“Partners exchanged their considerations and best practices, and accepted the invitation of the Minister to jointly pursue their cooperation on this issue in order to strengthen the KP’s ethical professional standards and ensure that the values of integrity, impartiality, human rights and the respect for the rule of law shape the professional and individual conduct of all members of the force, also in their private life.”
Similarly, the OSCE praised the efforts, with acting head of mission Cornelia Taylor reaffirming their readiness to support efforts to “uphold and promote police ethics and professionalism in the service of strong community policing.”
“She noted that the KP’s Code of Ethics and related regulations set out clear expectations for on- and off-duty social media conduct, offering guidance for officers. She welcomed the commitment of KP leadership to continue providing clear direction on how these principles should be applied, in line with the values of integrity and impartiality, to maintain community trust.”
The OSCE specified that they are ready to provide training, expert advice, and support: “to further strengthen the impact of high standards of ethics and professionalism in work that benefits all communities equitably.”
NGOs Urge Accountability
“We, the undersigned civil society organizations, welcome the acknowledgment by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the challenges associated with Kosovo Police officers promoting nationalistic behavior,” the five NGOs from the north said in a joint statement today.
They also acknowledged the international missions’ statements, but stressed that existing legal frameworks already address these issues. Moreover, they called for accountability for past behavior, including investigations by Kosovo’s Police Inspectorate and appropriate sanctions for violations.
The NGOs also highlighted the risks associated with deploying officers perceived as “hostile” in certain communities, urging careful consideration of these dynamics.
“Finally, it is important to acknowledge that the only viable long-term solution lies in achieving ethnic balance within the Kosovo Police in the four northern municipalities. This will require meaningful engagement from both parties in the normalization dialogue, with a focus on fulfilling the commitments outlined in Article 6 of the Agreement on the Path to Normalization between Kosovo and Serbia, which calls for enhanced cooperation across various domains through supplementary agreements,” they concluded.
Kosovo’s Constitution Mandates Fair Ethnic Representation in Policing
The Constitution of Kosovo outlines a commitment to fair ethnic representation in public institutions, including the Kosovo Police. Articles 61 and 128.4 emphasize equitable employment of community members in areas where they reside, ensuring alignment with the ethnic composition of each municipality.
In line with the Brussels Agreement, the police commander for four northern municipalities is to be a Serbian representative, nominated by the Ministry of Internal Affairs from a list prepared by local municipal leaders.
In November 2022, Serbian officers resigned en masse from the Kosovo Police over disputes surrounding license plates. Over the following months, while some Serbian officers have returned through recruitment efforts, the majority of police personnel in the northern stations now consist of ethnic Albanians, often relocated from other regions.
Additionally, several bases and checkpoints of Kosovo’s Special Police units have been erected in northern urban and rural areas.
Reports have documented allegations of excessive force and discriminatory actions by certain police teams against residents in the north.
Calls to reduce the Kosovo Police’s presence in the north have been echoed in several international reports, including recommendations from a 2023 Bratislava document.
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