Civil society organizations from northern Kosovo, New Social Initiative (NSI), Center for Affirmative Social Action (CASA), Institute for Territorial Economic Development (InTER), NGO Aktiv, and the Advocacy Center for Democratic Culture (ACDC), have published a report titled “Ethnization of Kosovo Police: Erosion of Ahtisaari’s Basis of a Civic and Multiethnic Institution”.
The report highlights a concerning trend among members of the Kosovo Police, who, through social media platforms, especially TikTok, promote Albanian ethnonationalism. Such behavior undermines the fundamental principles of the Kosovo Constitution and the legal framework that defines security institutions as multiethnic and civic.
Key findings of the report include:
- More than 14,000 TikTok posts are associated with the Kosovo Police, with over 4,000 using the hashtag #njesiaspecialekosoves (Kosovo Special Unit). These posts have generated 270 million views, often accompanied by ethnonationalist music.
- Over 140 photographs were documented, featuring more than 300 police officers using illegal symbols and gestures to emphasize ethnic affiliation and political views.
- Violations of at least 13 provisions of the disciplinary bylaws and laws regulating institutional operations were identified.
Institutions such as the Kosovo Police Inspectorate and international missions, including EULEX, have failed to adequately address these occurrences over the past three years, exacerbating the problem.
The report calls for immediate action to halt the erosion of the civic and multiethnic character of the Kosovo Police and to protect the principles on which Kosovo’s institutions are based.
“In deeply divided (post-)conflict societies, controversial ethnonationalist behavior by institution members from the majority group, particularly members of the security apparatus, military, and police, is perceived as inappropriate, provocative, and threatening by minority communities,” the civil society organizations stated.
You can find the complete report HERE.
