Stankovic: Kurti’s messages endanger the safety of Serbian journalists and all Serbs in Kosovo

Journalist Zoran Stankovic of RTV Gracanica has warned that journalists from Serbian newsrooms in Kosovo face serious difficulties in communicating with institutions and accessing information, and that statements made by Albin Kurti further jeopardize not only their work but also the safety of all Serbs in Kosovo.

According to Stankovic, Kurti’s call for journalists to ask questions in the Albanian language is unacceptable.

“A prime minister, as prime minister, is not obliged to speak Serbian, but he can always have an interpreter to provide translation. Likewise, the other side can also have an interpreter. On the other hand, it is not for him to advise journalists on the language in which they should ask questions, given that Kosovo is defined as bilingual and that both languages are therefore in official use,” Stankovic told Kosovo Online.

He stressed that journalists from Serbian media outlets encounter numerous problems within institutions because no one speaks their language and there is often no interpreter available, which prevents them from addressing officials.

“As a result, in many cases they do not receive answers at all,” he pointed out.

Stankovic added that Kurti’s message should be “read between the lines.”

“It can be interpreted as a message saying: learn the language, and then perhaps tomorrow, or in ten years’ time, another message will follow—change your surnames, completely lose your identity and become what we are. This is something we will, of course, not accept, just as we do not accept this statement,” he said.

He noted that this is not the only controversial statement made by Kurti and that many of his recent remarks have affected the work and safety not only of journalists, but of all Serbs in Kosovo.

“It seems to me that the situation has changed in recent years and that it is no longer what it used to be; I even believe it is much worse. Politicians and their rhetoric often incite hatred, especially among extremists who are waiting for a spark that will give them the confidence to act,” he said.

Stankovic added that it is uncomfortable for any journalist from a Serbian newsroom to attend a press conference or event where the majority of officials present are Albanian.

“My colleagues and I have never had so many problems before, but provocations from politicians are very often felt—whether in the tone of their remarks, a single sentence, or the attitude they display, which I believe they are making every effort to demonstrate, particularly over the past few years,” Stankovic concluded.