Pain and pride: Confessions of journalists attacked in northern Kosovo

Venera Xhoxhaj could not think clearly while fleeing from stones, shock bombs and physical attacks by individuals at a protest in Leposavić, northern Kosovo.

That Friday, 16 June, started in an unusual way for her. Xhoxhaj and other members of the Radio Television of Kosovo (RTK) team had believed from the early hours of the morning that they could be in danger.

“We were in a dilemma about how far we could go. But the job of a journalist is a mission, and this is what motivates you to fulfil it. You can’t report from South Mitrovica (about the situation) in Leposavić,” Xhoxhaj says.

Two nights ago, the car of her colleagues from RTK was also attacked in Zvečan. In this and two other Serb-majority municipalities in northern Kosovo – Leposavic and Zubin Potok – local Serbs have been protesting against the arrival of albanian mayors since 26 May.

Xhoxhaj and several other journalists travelled more than 70 kilometres north of Pristina to follow the meeting between the Minister of Local Government Administration, Elbert Krasniqi, and the Mayor of Leposavić, Lulzim Hetemi.

Nine journalists were then attacked by a group of masked persons. This led to the arrest of three persons from the serbian community in the previous days.

As she ran through the streets of Leposavić, Xhoxhaj’s only thought was of her colleague, cameraman Bardh Bekteshi.

“The moment I saw that Bardh was not there, I started screaming and asking where he was. When I saw him in the crowd, I turned to him without thinking about myself,” recalls Xhoxhaj.

She managed to record part of the attack with her phone, where one person can be seen trying to stop Bekteshi from escaping and knocking him out. This footage was also shared on social media by Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti.

But Xhoxhaj notes that the footage does not even show ten per cent of the “trauma and horror” they experienced.

Xhoxhaj was also attacked, but she only speaks about the injuries suffered by her colleague Bekteshi because she feels responsible. While her physical injuries hurt, she stresses that emotionally she is in an even worse state.

“The issue of my emotional state, of responsibility, is still very heavy on my mind. In the beginning, through the media, we made sure to show that we were okay, so that family members would not be upset, but I am still in an unstable state,” says Xhoxhaj in a shaky voice.

She has 22 years of experience as a journalist. She has never faced a similar attack in her career, although she says she has been the target of verbal attacks on several occasions.

‘Physical pain passes, emotional pain does not’

Journalist Qendresa Sinani of the Klan Koosva was with Venera Xhoxhaj at the time of the attack. She was hit by stones when her right knee was injured.

“I can say with absolute conviction that friday was one of the hardest days since I started working as a journalist more than four years ago,” says Sinani.

She says the physical pain is gone, but the emotional pain is not. Sinani says she is scared of feeling that she cannot protect herself and other journalists, but notes that she will continue to report from north Kosovo.

According to the Association of Kosovo Journalists, some 30 attacks have been reported in northern Kosovo since the crisis began.

“I always knew that through journalism you can face anything, you can go anywhere, but I never thought I would be in danger of my life,” says Sinani.

‘Extra motivation’

Pleurat Salihu, a reporter for Arbresh.info, suffered a fractured left arm and shoulder in the attack. But he says it is an extra motivation for him to do his job and that he is proud to see the public’s gratitude.

“This violation will leave a reminder that freedom of speech will always exist. This country does not tolerate the suppression of freedom of speech,” Saljihu said.

He says he felt no pain from his injuries, but his eyes fill with tears when he talks about what he has been through.

“I’m afraid to talk because half of the interview will pass in tears … There is no better feeling than when a 13-year-old says ‘you are a hero’. There is no better feeling than when people come to your door to thank you, when older people stop you in the street to take your picture,” says Salihu.

In the moments of the attack, he was most afraid for the journalists. He felt dizzy when he saw a young colleague fall, adding that he was powerless. Salihu emphasizes that the local Serbs expressed their regret for the attack. He believes that “organised crime groups” were behind it.

The Kosovo police also blamed “individuals or criminal groups” for the attacks on journalists.

On the other hand, in response to the arrests for attacks on journalists, the Kosovo Office of the Serbian government reported that Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti is using “all means to provoke conflict”.

Journalists from the serbian community in a similar situation

Journalists from the serbian community also have difficulties when reporting from the North.

Zorica Vorgučić, a RTV KIM reporter from Čaglavica near Pristina, points out that on 16 June she felt “completely devastated” when she and other journalists were strictly forbidden to film or take pictures.

“You go to the field and report what is happening there, and then masked people turn up and don’t let you do it. You have no idea who they are, but there is a fear of who they might be,” says Vorgučić.

She adds that journalists never know what is waiting for them in the field, so there is always a certain amount of fear when they go north. Her “weapon” to combat stress and fear is to always be on the spot in crisis situations.

On 16 June, Milun Milenkovic – Lune, who is accused by the Kosovo authorities as one of the organisers of the attack on KFOR, was arrested in North Mitrovica. In the meantime, he was ordered to 30 days detention and charged with terrorism, violent alteration of the constitutional order and endangering a person under international protection.

Journalist Vorgučić recalls that on 16 June she was “warned” by her colleagues that she would not be able to film or photograph anything before she arrived at the place where people were gathering for Milenković’s arrest.

When such meetings are held, there are almost always masked faces among them. Srpska Lista, the largest party of Kosovo Serbs, had previously stated that the masks were worn to protect their identity, i.e. to prevent them from being identified and arrested by the Kosovo authorities.

Zorica Vorgučić considers this explanation “nonsensical”. She points out that Kosovo’s security institutions have ways to film people gathered at protests and that journalists cannot possibly be responsible for someone’s arrest.

Vorgučić was also in Zvečan on 29 May when the clash between Serbs and KFOR took place. She says she did not realise the seriousness of the situation until the shock bombs, tear gas, bottles started flying. At that moment she was afraid for her cameraman that something would happen to him.

“I didn’t know where he was at that moment… it was a long time before we made a contact.”

Her family, friends and colleagues mostly tell her to be careful when reporting from the North.

“And I do protect myself as much as I can, but our job is to be there,” she concludes./RSE/