Kosovo publicist Veton Surroi has made serious allegations against journalist Baton Haxhiu, claiming that he cooperated with Serbia's State Security Service in 1998 and helped organize secret meetings between Serbian intelligence officials and former Kosovo political leader Mahmut Bakalli
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| Kosovo publicist Veton Surroi (left) has issued serious allegations regarding journalist Baton Haxhiu's (right) alleged past connections to Serbia's State Security Service in 1998 |
According to Surroi, Haxhiu accepted an invitation in 1998 to cooperate with Zoran Stijović, an official of Serbia's State Security Service responsible for the Pristina area. Surroi alleges that their cooperation aimed to establish a communication channel between Jovica Stanišić, then head of Serbia's State Security Service, and Mahmut Bakalli.
Surroi claims that Haxhiu played a role in coordinating meetings between representatives of Serbian intelligence and Bakalli, which allegedly took place at Bakalli's apartment in Pristina and at a State Security facility in Brezovica.
Surroi Claims Haxhiu Was Present During Secret Contacts Between Serbian Intelligence and Bakalli
Referring to proceedings in the trial of former Serbian president Slobodan Milošević at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in The Hague, Surroi disputes Haxhiu's account of his position during these contacts.
He argues that Haxhiu was not the direct interlocutor of Stanišić, as the journalist has allegedly suggested in different statements.
According to Surroi's account, during a private conversation between Stanišić and Bakalli, Haxhiu remained on the lower floor alongside operatives of Serbia's State Security Service.
The allegations place particular emphasis on the alleged role of Haxhiu in facilitating communication between Serbian intelligence officials and a prominent Kosovo Albanian political figure at a critical period in Kosovo's history.
Surroi Raises Allegations About Secret Document in Haxhiu's 2005 Albanian Citizenship Case
Surroi also made a controversial claim concerning Haxhiu's acquisition of Albanian citizenship in 2005.
He alleges that Albania's Ministry of Interior initially refused to approve Haxhiu's citizenship application, citing a classified document.
According to Surroi, the document allegedly indicated relations of an inappropriate nature with a foreign intelligence service considered unfriendly to Albania.
He further claims that the ministry's refusal was subsequently overcome through the discretionary powers of the Albanian president, following a media campaign led by TV Klan.
Surroi has not made the alleged classified document available as part of his public statement, meaning the circumstances surrounding the citizenship decision and the reasons for the initial refusal require independent verification.
Surroi Rejects Haxhiu's Story About His Mother and Tito's Photograph
The public confrontation began after Haxhiu, during his November 12 appearance on T7's Pressing, spoke about Surroi's late mother, Nahire, and an alleged visit to her apartment in 1998.
Haxhiu reportedly described seeing a photograph of former Yugoslav leader Josip Broz Tito in the apartment and having a conversation with Surroi's mother about it.
Surroi categorically rejected the account, stating that he had never taken Haxhiu to his mother's home, either in 1998 or at any other time.
He described the story about the photograph and the alleged conversation as fabricated.
Surroi also objected to Haxhiu's references to deceased members of his family, including his uncle Zenel Kabashi, arguing that they cannot respond to statements attributed to them.
Importantly, Surroi said he did not consider Haxhiu responsible for the actions of his father or other relatives, insisting that he should instead be held accountable for his own conduct.
In his concluding remarks, Surroi defended the legacy of his maternal family, highlighting the historical contributions of his grandfather Xhemal Kabashi, his children and their spouses to the formation of the state of Kosovo.
The allegations made by Surroi concerning Haxhiu's alleged cooperation with Serbian intelligence, the meetings with Mahmut Bakalli and the 2005 citizenship case have not been independently established by the information available. Haxhiu's direct response to these specific accusations was not included in Surroi's statement.