Journalists expelled from the session of the North Mitrovica Municipal Assembly; on the bridge opening behind closed doors

Council members at the session of the Northern Mitrovica Municipal Assembly, which was supposed to discuss the opening of the bridge over the Ibar River, decided to expel all journalists from the session and close it to the public, and security requested the media to leave the building immediately.

In protest, journalists from Serbian newsrooms decided not to wait for statements after the session concluded.

The media were invited yesterday to cover the session.

The only councilor from the Serbian community in the Municipal Assembly, Dusan Milunovic, was the only one who appealed to the other councilors not to remove the media from the room.

"I kindly ask you once again to reconsider the decision. Not a single media outlet has participated or requested to speak. Therefore, due to one incident with the audience – and this is a public session – I urge you not to come into conflict with the media. Let's reconsider once again so that the media can stay and accurately report on the decisions we are discussing. If it comes to leaving the session, I will be forced to do so as well, and I invite the councilors who disagree with me to leave the session together with me," Milunovic said.

At the very beginning of the session, Self-Determination Councilor Aida Ferati Doli, who proposed to the local assembly in North Mitrovica last April to make a decision on opening the bridge over the Ibar, stated regarding yesterday's news about the bridge opening that it was the wish of the citizens.

"The citizens received this news with joy after our assembly held in April last year and have been inquiring daily about when the bridge will be opened," she said.

Uglanin stated that, as far as the bridge was concerned, he would support any opening of it.

At the beginning, the councilors also adopted the minutes from the session, even though they were not even created.