A BIRN report on Kosovo’s mechanisms for terrorism prevention revealed significant shortcomings in implementing the national strategy on early prevention. The report emphasises the need for stronger coordination between central and local authorities to combat both religious and right-wing political extremism.
Kosovo faces significant shortcomings in implementing the national counterterrorism strategy, which relies heavily on early prevention and coordination between central and local governance, a BIRN report concluded.
The report, which is titled “Challenges of Counter-Terrorism Prevention Mechanisms in Kosovo,” was published on Tuesday and emphasises serious issues in the implementation of this strategy, where the concept of early prevention is still in its initial phase of development.
According to surveys, fieldwork, and document observation gathered over a 6 month period, Kosovo has made limited progress in the early identification of vulnerable groups and individuals at risk of radicalization, as well as in the design and implementation of specific intervention measures to support these groups and individuals.
Xhelal Svecla, Kosovo’s Interior Minister at the BIRN report presentation on Dec 17 in Prishtina. Photo: BIRN
Xhelal Svecla, Kosovo’s Minister of Interior, stated that terrorism and right-wing extremism are challenges not only for Kosovo but also for other countries.
“Kosovo has joined global coalitions in combating terrorism. Kosovo has taken responsibility for repatriating individuals from Syria, rehabilitating them, and reintegrating them into society. One of the main pillars of our five-year strategy 2023-2028 is the inclusion of local mechanisms and civil society, ” Svecla said.
The minister also highlighted major terrorist attacks the country has faced since 2023.
“We have continuously experienced various attacks on institutions, officials, international personnel, and the media in the four northern municipalities of Kosovo. I would emphasise two terrorist attacks: the one on September 24, 2023, in Banjska, and the attack on November 29, 2024, in Ibër Lepenc critical infrastructure. We are dealing with right-wing extremism and ethno-nationalism,” he added.
According to Svecla, these two attacks reveal the urgent need for right-wing extremism to be treated as a priority not only in Kosovo but globally.
The report highlights that key actors responsible for implementing the strategy still do not have a clear understanding of vulnerable groups at risk of radicalization or a concrete understanding of the driving and attracting factors associated with radicalisation.
Khalid Koser, founder and executive director of the Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund, GCERF, at BIRN report presentation on Dec 17 in Prishtina. Photo: BIRN
According to the report, there is also a significant lack of coordination and strategic messaging from the central level to the local level regarding their obligations under the strategy. .
Meanwhile, progress has been made at the municipal level in hiring professionals, such as psychologists in schools.
Khalid Koser, founder and executive director of the Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund, GCERF, highlighted the difficulties in early intervention.
“To find people at risk of radicalisation and recruitment early in the cycle and to intervene and provide better alternatives is an immensely difficult thing to do,” Koser said.
“I compliment the focus on early prevention; I believe we all agree that early prevention is something difficult to achieve. Secondly, I compliment the methods used, such as surveys and interviews, and I believe the methodology makes this a legitimate report that we should take seriously,” he added.
BIRN’s findings show that the institutions’ focus on addressing religious extremism has left significant gaps in building the capacity to combat right-wing extremism. Between 2023 and 2026, Kosovo has continued to face terrorism, experiencing several attacks driven by both right-wing extremist groups and Islamic religious extremist groups.
Kreshnik Gashi, author of the report and Editor-in-Chief at Kallxo.com. Photo: BIRN
Kreshnik Gashi, author of the report and Editor-in-Chief at Kallxo.com, highlighted Kosovo’s unique approach to civil society involvement in the strategy.
“Kosovo is the first country in the region that allows civil society to monitor the counter-terrorism strategy and actively participate in prevention and rehabilitation programs for returning fighters,” Gashi said.
He also described the alarming levels of extreme language online.
“What we see today in online discourse highlights that we have not yet succeeded in deradicalising the society. In recent years, we have witnessed radicalisation driven by right-wing extremist currents, which has resulted in murders, attacks, and a significant increase in hate speech and violence on social networks. Thousands of followers are supporting groups that spread right-wing ideologies,” Gashi added.
Out of 26 municipalities contacted by BIRN, 20 confirmed that they do not possess the strategy and action plan.
BIRN’s data further reveal that despite growing concerns in Kosovo regarding both religious and right-wing extremism, this issue remains largely ignored at the municipal council level.
Labinot Leposhtica, co-author of the report and Head of the Legal Office at BIRN Kosovo
Labinot Leposhtica, co-author of the report and Head of the Legal Office at BIRN Kosovo, stressed the need to clarify the responsibilities of local authorities within the Strategy and avoid placing the entire burden on the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
“All reports, local and international, have highlighted a fact that is undeniable for all of us: the majority of the work has been left to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, specifically the Department for Public Safety. This has created a form of overload, while local levels have not contributed sufficiently to this fight against terrorism,” Leposhtica declared.
He underlined that early identification is one of the most critical specific prevention objectives.
“The majority of municipalities, 20 out of 26, reported serious problems in understanding the strategic document (National Strategy on Prevention and Fighting Terrorism). This is a significant issue because the consequences are collateral,” Leposhtica added.
BIRN report presentation “Challenges of Counter-Terrorism Prevention Mechanisms in Kosovo,” on Dec 17 in Prishtina. Photo: BIRN
The report recommends that the National Coordinator communicates strategic messages to the local level as soon as possible.
The report was conducted through a comprehensive review of over 30 documents, including academic literature, policy documents, reports, and case studies related to early intervention measures for preventing radicalization. A questionnaire was also prepared and distributed to key stakeholders involved in implementing the Strategy at both the central and local levels.
The report “Challenges of Counter-Terrorism Prevention Mechanisms in Kosovo” was supported by the Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund (GCERF) as part of the Resilient and Inclusive Community Program. This program monitors the implementation of the Strategy, examines the development of an early intervention system to protect individuals at risk of radicalization, and assesses the impact of governmental and non-governmental efforts in preventing violent extremism.