On Thursday, international missions in Kosovo criticised the conduct of Sami Kurteshi, a member of the Central Election Commission, CEC, who recently made comments directed toward journalists and the Association of Journalists of Kosovo, AJK.

Kurteshi, a ruling Vetëvendosje, LVV, member at the CEC, made a comment on Facebook in which he called the Association of Journalists of Kosovo an “alliance of criminal groups in protection of contract killers.” This came one day after Kurteshi argued with a journalist after a CEC meeting over the space that media should occupy during their meetings.

“The EU in Kosovo deplores the attack and language used by LVV’s Central Election Commission member Sami Kurteshi, who labelled the Association of Journalist of Kosovo an ‘alliance of criminal groups’ and urges for such practices to end,” the European Union Office in Kosovo said in a statement.

“Media Freedom must be protected in any democratic society—the EU will keep supporting Kosovo in its development,” it added.
The OSCE Mission in Kosovo considered Kurteshi’s conduct toward journalists to be “unacceptable.”

“Media freedom and responsible public discourse are essential to Kosovo’s democracy. Political representatives in independent bodies must uphold the highest standards of professionalism and respect,” the OSCE said in a statement.

SafeJournalists, a regional network focused on improving safety of journalists and media freedom in the Western Balkans, called on Acting Prime Minister Albin Kurti and Vetëvendosje, “to put an end, once and for all, to this harmful practice.”

“The SafeJournalists Network considers these statements extremely inflammatory and baseless, putting the AJK, journalists, and media outlets at real risk while performing their professional duties. This is not the first time Mr. Kurteshi has targeted the media with language inappropriate for the important position he holds,” the statement reads.

In recent years, Kosovo has seen a sharp decline in the global media freedom index. The latest Reporters Without Borders report in May 2025 saw Kosovo falling 24 places from 75th in 2024 to 99th in 2025.