Dozens of people in positions of power and figures of organized crime ended up in prison in 2023 as a result of investigations by Kallxo.com. In a special edition, journalists, cameramen, and editors of Kallxo.com narrate the behind-the-scenes of the investigations of the most significant cases broadcasted during 2023.
2023 was a long year for investigative journalists at the desk of Kallxo.com. The TV shows and publications on Kallxo.com have resulted in dozens being arrested and hundreds of new criminal cases, in an attempt to strengthen rule of law in the country. Investigative journalists have revealed their most notable experiences throughout the year in this long read.
The investigation of a multimillion-dollar crime with the construction scandals
In the year-end edition of #KallxoPernime, Kreshnik Gashi explained how Kallxo got involved in the investigation of the ‘Brezovica File.‘ In the ‘Brezovica File,’ over 100 people were arrested on suspicion of corruption and environmental damage.
Gashi revealed that in 2021, the team had interviewed a key witness who provided detailed information about the corruption scheme related to the construction of villas in Brezovica.
“We started investigating the Brezovica case, where one of the key witnesses contacted our team and agreed to be interviewed, revealing the entire scheme. In the ‘Brezovica’ case, money was offered for each villa and each object built in that area. The testimony was quite interesting and provided a lot of evidence showing that there was substantial material basis for building a successful corruption case,” said Gashi.
According to Gashi, the witness and other evidence documented that around 10,000 euros were paid for each villa. “This witness also explained how the network operated and how at the Ministry of Environment, money was paid to change the area’s structure and building plans,” added Gashi.
He emphasized that the ‘Brezovica File’ demonstrated that corruption knows no ethnicity; in this case, corruption brought Albanians and Serbs together. “This file showed that corruption does not recognize nationality, party affiliation, but simply, if you have money in Kosovo, you can degrade the environment and do whatever you want,” said Gashi.
A crucial part was also the documentation of what was said in the ‘Brezovica’ case. Gashi explained that they managed to secure invoices, contracts, and other documents used in the investigation. The documentary for Brezovica was broadcasted in September, offering insights into how the entire network functioned and Milan Radoicic’s connections.
#KallxoPenime’s producer, Valdet Salihu, revealed exclusive footage from the ‘Brezovica File.’ The footage from 2014 showed the destruction of Brezovica, while the footage after 2021 revealed bunkers with corruption money in Brezovica.
“In the ‘Brezovica’ case, the footage we secured showed a lot to the public. The 2014 recordings demonstrated how businesses easily destroyed Brezovica. Other recordings we made after 2019 also showed up close how much profit was gained from Brezovica. We managed to secure footage from bunkers with money, views of luxurious cars confiscated, and we showed the public what is hidden inside the villas that look simple from the outside but have millions of euros in investments,” said Salihu.
The ‘Brezovica File’ investigation began in 2016, but at that time, the investigations had stalled. The evidence presented in the broadcast showed that the construction in Brezovica started after 2012 when some Albanian companies began building villas in the area.
The investigations led by prosecutor Rasim Maloku concluded with over 100 people arrested, including the former mayor of Shterpce, Branislav Nikolic, and several municipal directors. The investigations also involved officials from the Ministry of Environment and dozens of powerful construction businesspeople.
So far, the prosecution has raised two indictments for those involved in this event, while investigations are ongoing for the rest of the group. The documentary for the ‘Brezovica File’ was broadcasted in September on #KallxoPernime, revealing exclusive footage from the bunkers with corruption money to Milan Radoicic’s famous escape from the border point in Bernjake.
How the Mitrovica Library was privatized and turned into a café
Another interesting case that resulted in arrests was the ‘Library File.’ The investigation revealed that the municipality of Mitrovica, under the leadership of Agim Bahtiri, had decided to privatize the Library building and turn it into a café.
The investigation led to the arrest of Faruk Mujka, one of the key figures in Vetevendosje in the Mitrovica region. Mujka was arrested by the Special Prosecutor’s Office on July 14, 2023.
Behar Mustafa, who investigated this case, explained the verification process of this file in the festive edition of #KallxoPernime. “The denunciation showed that the municipality had exchanged the library building with a property used for a road. When we traced it deeper, we found many irregularities in this process, and the people who signed the documents admitted that there were irregularities,” said Mustafa.
He explained that the Library property had been owned by AKP, and the Municipality of Mitrovica had requested that the property be transferred to municipal ownership for the general good. However, according to Mustafa, the Agim Bahtiri administration decided to put the property into the hands of a businessman who turned the library into a café.
“The investigation we published was taken up by the Special Prosecutor’s Office. After about six months of investigation, one of the high-ranking officials of Vetevendosje, Faruk Mujka, was arrested in April 2023 for this event. Faruk Mujka is one of the influential people in Vetevendosje and has been the deputy mayor of the Municipality of Mitrovica. Along with Mujka, Hysen Muzlukaj, the former director of the Cadastre in Mitrovica, was also arrested,” said Mustafa.
The data showed that the city library, with the decision of the Board of Directors of the Municipality of Mitrovica, was moved from the “Bankosit” building to be placed in a sports center in Mitrovica. The Special Prosecutor’s Office is still conducting investigations into this case.
The investigation that uncovered the sexual assault on a 14-year-old in Podujevo
In 2021, a sexual assault occurred in a school in Podujevo. A 14-year-old girl was locked in a classroom by two individuals.
#KallxoPernime revealed that the Pristina Prosecutor’s Office had decided to grant amnesty to the second person involved in this event. He had been declared only a witness in the incident where the minor was locked in a room and attempted to be sexually harassed.
The victim’s father recounted the incident in #KallxoPernime, and only after the broadcast of the show, did the prosecutor raise charges against the second person. The case is being processed in the Prishtina Court, where the first person was sentenced to 1 year in prison, while the second person is still in the judicial process.
Journalist Adelina Ahmeti, who uncovered the case, shared her experience of investigating this case.
“A parent from Podujevo reported a case. He told us that law enforcement agencies were not handling the case properly, and the case had been closed several times. When we broadcast the show, the prosecutor immediately intervened. The person was charged, and a few days ago, we received the news that he was convicted,” said Ahmeti. Read the full investigation here.
The Case of Corruption Investigation in the Prosecutor’s Office
Public prosecution is one of the specific focus areas in the investigations of #KallxoPernime. Journalist Taulant Osmani investigated a case in Gjilan where there were serious suspicions of corruption in the prosecutor’s office. The investigation revealed that a tender in Gjilan for the supply of official materials, worth 155 thousand euros, was won through a forged document.
The publication of the article was followed by arrests by the Gjilan Prosecutor’s Office.
“In March of this year [2023], the Police, in collaboration with the Serious Crimes Department of the Gjilan Prosecutor’s Office, arrested the owner of the company under suspicion of abuse and Fraud in Public Prosecution. Two months later, charges were also filed by the Prosecutor’s Office against the owner of the company,” Osmani said.
He explained that the company had falsified a document claiming to have completed similar work in institutions in the last three years.
“This document had to be attached to their file. Until there were enough documents to apply for the tender, the company falsified the seal of the Ministry of Defense and created a reference, pretending to have completed a high-value tender, 80 thousand euros in this ministry, in the last 3 years. We found that this tender did not exist at all during this period. The Municipality of Gjilan accepted the documents as valid, and the tender worth 155 thousand euros was won. We eagerly await the final verdict of the court in this case, and this is the latest case where companies attempt and dare to engage in such types of fraud in public tenders,” Osmani added.
Read the full investigation here.
The ‘Discipline’ File
Within 2023, five judges in Kosovo were disciplined following reports by Kallxo.com. Two judges, Veli Kryeziu and Afijete Sada-Gllogjani, faced disciplinary measures from the Kosovo Judicial Council, KJC after Kallxo.com exposed their cases.
Judge Veli Kryeziu was publicly warned in writing for using inappropriate language in public, an investigation conducted by journalist Adelina Ahmeti. Two other judges also faced disciplinary measures based on KALLXO.com’s reports. The Kosovo Judicial Council issued a disciplinary measure to Judge Lidija Vuçurovic, a member of the Court of Appeals Division in Mitrovica.
This decision was made after a report by Kallxo.com. Judge Vuçuroviq received a written public warning as a disciplinary measure.
On December 13, 2022, the Kosovo Judicial Council had received a request to initiate a disciplinary investigation against Judge Lidija Vuçurovic from the competent authority. The decision for disciplinary action highlights that the procedure was conducted based on KALLXO.com’s reporting.
Similarly, the Kosovo Judicial Council proposed the dismissal of Judge Nikola Kabashiq of the Court of Appeals Division in Mitrovica to President Vjosa Osmani.
All this came after KALLXO.com reported in November 2022, showing the involvement of institutional leaders in the organizational meetings of the Serbian List political entity. KALLXO documented through photos that institutional members participated in those meetings, where the decision was made to boycott the institutions of Kosovo by the Serbs.
Another disciplined judge with a disciplinary measure is Afijete Sada-Gllogjani. She was fined 40 per cent of her salary following an investigation published on Kallxo.com. Egzon Dahsyla has recounted the event he reported. “At Kallxo.com, we received a complaint from a citizen of Gjakova.
He complained that his case was not treated on time in court. When our team of lawyers handled the case, it was found that legal standards were not respected by the court. When the court saw what problems there were in this case, they decided to initiate disciplinary proceedings against Judge Afijete Sada-Gllogjani.
A few weeks ago, we were informed that this judge was disciplined by the KJC and her salary was reduced by 40 per cent,” Dahsyla recounted. The Kosovo Judicial Council, KJC, issued a disciplinary measure with a 40 per cent salary reduction for 4 months and a written public warning.
KJC’s punishment against the judge came after KALLXO.com was investigating the case she was judging, while the judge was also in the procedure for two other violations.
Investigations on Officials Who Were Convicted After Assaulting Women
Kallxo.com’s investigations into family violence had significant results in 2023.
Drilon Gashi, an advisor to the parliamentary speaker Glauk Konjufca, was dismissed after Kallxo.com revealed that he was convicted of family violence. Jetlira Buzhala, the investigator of this case, spoke for the festive edition of #KallxoPernime about the course of this investigation.
“A couple shared with us a decision from the Peja court that showed that one of the advisors to the parliamentary speaker Glauk Konjufca was convicted of family violence. The case showed that Drilon Gashi was sentenced with a judicial warning under the charge of beating his wife,” Buzhala said.
She explained that after this publication, Gashi tried to justify that this was a momentary thing, and he still lives with his wife. “After this publication, the parliamentary speaker Glauk Konjufca decided to release his advisor from duty.
Today, this person convicted of family violence no longer works in the highest legislative institution in the country,” Buzhala said.
Advisor to the Speaker of the Parliament Glauk Konjufca, Drilon Gashi, was sentenced by the Basic Court of Peja for minor bodily harm to his wife. In the link, you can read the full investigation on the matter.
Another focus of investigations into family violence was the analysis of archived files. Aulona Alaj revealed how 10 files of family violence were extracted from the court archives.
“The aim was to accurately understand where the state is failing in dealing with family violence. In these cases, we have managed to find very serious problems that start from the police and continue in the prosecution and ultimately end up in court.
These investigations show that systematically the police do not perform their duties according to the rules in treating women. The problem is serious because the prosecution also does not perform its duties according to the rules, resulting in the release of men who beat women. It is very important that, in addition to finding these violations for each of these cases, we will prepare reports for the institutions and seek measures against those responsible,” Alaj said. Read the full investigations at the link.
Doctor’s Conflict of Interest
A doctor from Podujeva is accused of a conflict of interest after Kallxo.com reported that he interviewed his granddaughter in a job competition. Xheneta Murtezaj, an investigator at Kallxo.com, states that after the publication, the Prishtina Prosecutor’s Office based its case on the materials and raised charges against the doctor.
“In a case in Podujeva, we discovered that a doctor was in an open conflict of interest because he interviewed his granddaughter in a public competition. The law does not allow this, and for this reason, the Prishtina Prosecutor’s Office has raised charges against this official. Since the State Prosecutor’s Office informed us in March about this official, charges for conflict of interest have been raised,” said Murtezaj.
The File of Lawyers Paid by the Serbian Government
Three lawyers, including the former chief prosecutor of Mitrovica, Shyqeri Syla, were revealed to be receiving salaries from the parallel structures of the Serbian government.
The investigation published in November showed that lawyers Asdren Hoxha, Faruk Korenica, and Shyqeri Syla had entered into contracts with the Serbian government to defend clients accused of corruption and organized crime in Kosovo.
Journalist Shkodrane Dakaj has recounted how the Kallxo.com team documented this.
“During 2023, we spent a lot of time in Leposavic and the northern region. There we managed to establish contacts with the Serbian community who told us that the Serbian government finances some lawyers. We managed to enter the municipality and obtain files proving that lawyers defending people accused of corruption were paid directly by the Serbian government without notifying the institutions of Kosovo. The problem in this case was that among the paid individuals was also the former chief prosecutor of Mitrovica, Shyqeri Syla,” said Dakaj.
She explained that after this publication, two institutions in the country initiated investigations into this denunciation.
“After the reporting was published, we received information that the Tax Administration has initiated an investigation into this case. Similarly, the Chamber of Advocates also initiated an investigation into the matter, and we expect the results in 2024,” said Dakaj. Read the full file at the link.
The Ferronikel Millions File
Another investigation that Visar Prebreza, an editor at Kallxo.com, has reported on is the scandal at Ferronikel. This company had been relieved of several million euros of dept by a decision of the Independent Commission for Mines and Minerals.
“At the beginning of the year, we reported on a scandal at the Independent Commission for Mines and Minerals. A scandal that weighed no less than 8 million euros. At that time, we showed how Ferronikel had initially been fined over 9 million euros with the justification that it had not declared the exact amount of ore.
But after a meeting with representatives of this company, the Board of the Independent Commission for Mines and Minerals reduced Ferronikel’s obligation to just 1.5 million euros.
The Kosovo Assembly also took this matter up, and in October 2023, they decided to dismiss the Board of the ICMM,” said Prebreza. Read more about how the Ferronikel case unfolded at this link.
Tenders for Vetëvendosje Party Allies
During 2023, Kallxo.com exposed several tenders and decisions by the Ministry of Infrastructure that favored people close to Vetëvendosje. Journalist Egzon Dahsyla explained how he reported and investigated the tender for the expansion of the Prishtina-Podujeva road, part of which was won by an associate of Deputy Minister Hysen Durmishi.
“In 2023, we received another report on the tender for the Prishtina-Podujeva road. This report showed that one of the associates of Deputy Minister Hysen Durmishi won one of the lots of this tender, and there were procedural problems.
We managed to find out that the tender was signed even though there was an active complaint in the Public Procurement Regulatory Commission, PPRC. The law states that when there are complaints in the PPRC, tenders cannot be signed, but this procedure was ignored in this case,” said Dahsyla.
He explained that the investigation of #KallxoPernime was confirmed by the PPRC, which found irregularities. “The PPRC found that the ministry had violated the rules when signing the contracts, with an active complaint. For this, it requested the revocation of the procurement officer’s certificate of the Ministry,” said Dahsyla. Read the full investigation at the link.
Another Favoritism for Vetëvendosje Members in Malisheva
Journalist Valon Fana documented how the Ministry of Transport was used to favor individuals affiliated with Vetëvendosje.
“We managed to document that the Ministry, led by Liburn Aliu, changed the route of the Malisheva circular road only to suit the interests of relatives of Valon Hoti, a high-ranking official of the Vetëvendosje Movement. This entire process was carried out away from the public eye, and when we transmitted the investigation, the Ministry did not provide us with the documentation. Although they promised to provide us with this material, we have not received it yet,” said Fana.
The investigation revealed that the decision affected the properties of Muharrem Hoti, who is Valon Hoti’s uncle. The latter is a coordinator in the Vetëvendosje Movement. Read the full investigation at the link.
Another Kallxo.com investigation involves the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Diaspora.
Journalist Antigona Isufi documented how the fund for citizen diplomacy, a part of which went to the head of the ‘Dare’ branch. The investigation revealed that for 10 months, the president of the ‘Dare’ List in Germany, Berlind Gajraku, will receive 1,000 euros in the name of the “citizen diplomacy” program from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, MFAD.
This fund is allocated by the ministry led by his party colleague, Donika Gërvalla-Schwarz.
“This fund is managed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and our investigation showed that a part of the money from this fund went to Berlind Gajraku, who is the president of the Dare List in Germany. The investigation showed that Gajraku is expected to receive 10,000 euros from public funds allocated by the Ministry led by Donika Gërvalla, who is the leader of the party to which Gajraku belongs,” said Isufi. Read the full investigation at this link.
RTK Public Broadcaster File
Journalist Mediana Halili of Kallxo.com has been monitoring the Radio Television of Kosovo, RTK, Board for a long time. As a result, Halili has found in her investigation that several women competing for leading positions had pressure to withdraw.
“From this monitoring, we have found that financiers of politics have been placed in the management of the television. We have reported on unacceptable language towards women working at RTK, and most importantly, we have evidence that there were women at RTK who were not allowed to be in leadership positions.
In our investigation ‘Radio Television of Men,’ which proved that Ilire Zajmi, Mihrije Beiqi, and Flora Durmishi faced pressure to withdraw from the RTK competitions, there have been public reactions from local and international mechanisms, and those responsible have been called to public account several times,” said Halili. Read the full investigations at this link.
The Investigation of Financial Benefits of Deputies
Arjana Berisha and Ilirjana Hoti, two journalists from Kallxo.com reporting on the work of the Assembly, have revealed their investigations into the expenses of deputies.
Over 40,000 euros were spent from the state budget on official lunches at the Assembly of Kosovo in the first six months of 2023. These lunches were organized in several restaurants, with over 3,000 euros spent in just one of them. Journalist Ilirjana Hoti also reported on the amounts of money paid to deputies who did not attend work.
“Without a doubt, in the investigations into the expenses of the Assembly, the largest sum of money misused was for the 10 new Serbian deputies, who replaced those who resigned in November 2022. There are 9 deputies from the Serbian List and one from the Citizen Initiative for Freedom, Justice, and Survival. They were paid 125,000 euros and only attended one session. This means that for 1 day of work in the Assembly, a deputy from this party received just over 12,500 euros,” said Hoti.
The nine candidates from the Serbian List and one from the GI SPO party who ran in the last general elections took the oath as deputies of the Assembly of Kosovo on November 17, 2022. Read the full investigation here.
The new legislators from the Serbian community came after the resignation of ten former deputies from the Serbian List, following a decision by the latter in November 2022.
Health Dossiers
Reports on problems and abuses in healthcare have been part of the daily routine at Kallxo.com.
Vlera Shabani, a journalist at Kallxo.com, talked about the investigation at the Speech Therapy Clinic at UHC. The investigation highlights that for a check-up at this clinic, the waiting time is 1 year.
“During this year, we wanted to show another side of the management of UHC and document what is told to patients who turn to UHC for services. Therefore, we went there and asked to schedule an appointment for a logopedic check-up. The staff told us that we had to wait a full 365 days for this appointment,” said Shabani.
She explained that the visuals shown have influenced the public debate on this topic, and the format has continued in other clinics.
“Similarly, we also acted with infrastructure. We went to UHC, asked the staff about difficult conditions, damages to the floors, and damaged beds. With these visuals, we managed to show another side of the management of UHC and proved that the consequences of abuse continue to be suffered by patients,” said Shabani.
Journalist Shqipron Xhema recounted another investigation that demonstrates how millions of euros were spent on the construction of the Ferizaj Hospital, which is not functional.
“With the investigation into the Ferizaj Hospital, we wanted to show the public how state funds are being misused, and no one is being held accountable. We found that the facility was poorly planned, poorly built, and, worst of all, the facility is deteriorating every day as it has been left without supervision,” said Xhema.
Friends of Vetëvendosje at the Helm of Healthcare
Journalist Vlera Shabani reported on how she managed to document that the friend of the Minister of Health, Arben Vitia, Elvir Azizi, was appointed as the General Director of SHSKUK.
“We reported that Elvir Azizi, the university friend of Minister Arben Vitia, who, based on photos that have been made public, continues to maintain the friendship even after many years, has been selected as the General Director of the University Clinical Center of Kosovo.
In this competition, a member of the evaluation commission was appointed, a close friend of Azizi’s wife.
After KALLXO.com’s interest in this potential conflict of interest, this member resigned from this position, even though she said she did not see it as a conflict and considered our questions as media pressure,” said Shabani. Read the full investigation at the link.
Discrimination Files
Journalist Valon Fana narrated about investigations into discrimination in education. He explained the visit to 21 schools to see how laws are being respected and whether they follow policies against discrimination.
“The data we have extracted shows us that schools and universities are spaces where non-majority communities and persons with disabilities are discriminated against, while women are excluded from decision-making in many institutions. This investigation has revealed the defects of each institution separately and has provided evidence that the Roma, Ashkali, and Egyptian communities are completely excluded from their inclusion in employment, schools, and universities,” said Fana.
Journalist Arbrita Uka managed to document that due to poverty, students from non-majority communities in the Obiliq area are abandoning school.
“In September of this year, we managed to document that due to poverty and difficult living conditions, students from the non-majority [Roma] community living in the Obiliq area are abandoning schools. When we dug deeper, we found data that this abandonment is happening because students are paid to attend schools in the Serbian language that function in that area,” said Uka.
“The investigation we published alarmed the entire education system and the municipality of Obiliq. The school director visited the families of these children, with the aim of asking for the return of the children to school, where they had previously studied. The Education Directorate appealed to state authorities to address this issue, while the Minister of Education called it a brutal intervention by Serbia to instrumentalize citizens who are in a more difficult economic situation,” Uka added.
Files on Russian Influence
Among the investigations conducted during this year is the one on the impact of disinformation in Kosovo.
Editor Emirjeta Vllahiu stated that this investigation was carried out by monitoring 100 media outlets in Kosovo.
“While revealing data that Kosovo is influenced by disinformation from Russia and China. An important part of this research is also data showing that politicians spread disinformation with the aim of fueling conflicts in Kosovo. Other data indicate that the media in Kosovo lacks the capacity to handle disinformation, and, more importantly, even the state itself lacks the capacity to address disinformation, especially those coming from Russia,” said Vllahiu.
In addition to publication, the team has managed to identify platforms where fake news is disseminated.
“The data we have secured show that these 650 articles have been shared more than 10,000 times on various social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok,” said journalist Ilirjana Hoti.
“An important element is the impact that publications have had on the Truth-O-Meter. Because the media have seen that they made mistakes when publishing lies more than 100 times during this year, we have been informed that the media have acknowledged the mistakes and have decided to improve their errors, and the materials have been corrected,” said journalist Arjana Berisha.
A Year of Attacks on Journalists
Physical assaults, beatings, equipment damage, etc., are just a few of the reported cases during 2023, in which Kallxo.com staff were victims.
Afrim Ejupi, a cameraman at Kallxo.com, mentioned being threatened several times during work in the field.
“During the work we have done in the field, there have been several times when we had to stop filming and go to the police because they didn’t let us work. For example, we were threatened by a businessman in Vushtrri just because we asked for a fiscal receipt. But, of course, the more serious situations have been in the north of Kosovo, where we were physically attacked and seriously endangered during each visit there,” said Ejupi.
On the other hand, journalist Adelina Ahmeti revealed that there are several cases currently being treated by the justice system for threats against Kallxo.com journalists.
“There are several cases that are now being dealt with in serious crimes related to attacks against us. I was physically attacked in Leposavic, and the attack was very serious. In addition to the physical assault, there was also a case where we reported to the police that the car we traveled in towards Leposavic was damaged during the protests and situation reporting. The tires were punctured, and nationalistic symbols were marked on it. The case was open for incitement and division, but despite these situations we experienced while reporting, they did not stop us from returning to that area and continuing our work,” said Ahmeti.
Producer and cameraman Valdet Salihu narrated about threats and dangers during work in the northern part of the country.
“Since 2012, I have been involved in investigations into smuggling and organized crime in the north. That area has always been dangerous, and you have to be very careful when going there. What distinguished 2023 in the north was the extreme hatred for journalists, which resulted in direct attacks against journalists in that area,” said Salihu.
Journalist Shkodrane Dakaj recounted the day of May 29, which she described as the most severe during reporting on protests in four majority-Serbian municipalities.
“The most severe situation was on May 29. We set out to cover a peaceful protest and ended up being held hostage for more than 3 hours in an area where no circumstances were in our favor. We couldn’t get food because they didn’t sell us any, there was no phone signal, and worst of all, there was nowhere to take refuge because the police were far away from us. After all those explosions, bombs, gunfire, and tear gas, we had to get 8 journalists into one car to get to a safer area,” said Dakaj.
Cameraman Naser Fejza recounted his work during the protests in four majority-Serbian municipalities where the police and KFOR were attacked by protesters.
“The event that occurred in Zvecan in May of this year, where the Kosovo Police and KFOR units were attacked, we continuously use it to show young cameramen how to work in dangerous situations and how to prepare and position themselves in a safe zone to ensure quality filming. The best weapon and defense for a cameraman is the camera. That day, I made sure to always have the camera on and directed towards the area where the event was unfolding. This allowed us to have footage of the entire event and document the violence that occurred that day,” said Fejza.
Kallxo.com’s legal officer, Labinot Leposhtica, told about the lawsuits filed against Kallxo.com teams.
“In addition to the physical attacks our colleagues had this year, we have continued to face indirect attacks and SLAPP lawsuits directed against our team. This year, we managed to argue and practically prove that in three of these SLAPP lawsuits, the court has dismissed the decisions and ruled in favor of our team,” said Leposhtica.
5 Kallxo Journalists who won awards:
– Antigonë Isufi won an award for the best story on Education and Research from the Regional Cooperation Office for Youth RYCO.
– Kreshnik Gashi won the first prize from the European Union for the best investigative story this year for the investigation ‘Buying the Chief Prosecutor.’
– Behar Mustafa won the award for the best TV story from the Association of Journalists for the investigation ‘Corruption in Brezovica.’
– Valon Fana won the award for the best story from the Association of Journalists for the investigation “Lack of Investments in Trepça.”
– Adelinë Ahmeti won the award for the best story from the Coalition of NGOs for Child Protection for the ‘Crime File for Sexual Assault,’ and as a result of this published investigation, an indictment has been raised against a defendant for sexual assault.”