The Balkan Investigative Reporting Network, BIRN, and Internews Kosova have won a legal case against the Kosovo Privacy and Information Agency, AIP, after the agency ordered their joint publication, KALLXO.com, to remove parts of an article concerning a person wanted by the police.

On January 23, 2026, the Prishtina Basic Court annulled AIP’s decision and approved BIRN’s lawsuit, stating that the public’s right to information takes precedence over an individual’s privacy in this particular case. 

The court ruled in favor of BIRN, stating that AIP had denied them the right to respond before issuing its order.

The dispute began on September 25, 2020, when KALLXO.com reported on a police notice identifying an individual with the initials P.O. as wanted on criminal charges.  P.O. requested the removal of parts of the content in the news article, claiming the charges had been dropped. 

When contacted by KALLXO.com, P.O. was asked to provide evidence of judicial or legal rehabilitation, which he did not submit.

P.O. then filed a complaint with AIP on October 5, 2023. A few months later, on January 22, 2024, AIP ordered the removal of the content without granting KALLXO.com the right to respond.

BIRN and Internews Kosova challenged the decision in court, arguing that AIP’s decision was unclear and incomprehensible, because it did not clearly state exactly what was required of KALLXO.com to comply with the order..

On January 24, 2024, following a notification by the Kosovo Police that the individual with the initials P.O. was no longer wanted, which was provided to KALLXO.com by AIP via its decision, KALLXO.com updated the article, revising the photograph, the first and last name of the individual, and the content.