20.09.2023. » 16:25 | ACDC
Assessment of the Status of Judiciary and Police in Northern Kosovo -
NGO Advocacy Center for Democratic Culture hosted a conference on September 19, 2023, to discuss the assessment of the status of judicial institutions and police in the northern municipalities of Kosovo.
NGO Advocacy Center for Democratic Culture hosted a conference on September 19, 2023, to discuss the assessment of the status of judicial institutions and police in the northern municipalities of Kosovo. The conference aimed to present the current situation following the withdrawal of Kosovo Serbs from all Kosovo institutions. Additionally, it aimed to explore the functionality and level of trust among non-majority communities in these institutions. The event also included research conducted by the NGO ACDC, providing a comprehensive overview of the situation and assessing the impact of the resignations of Kosovo Serbs on the functionality of the legal system and law enforcement.
The panelists included Mr. Veton Elshani, Deputy Police Commander for the Northern Region; Mrs. Lumnije Surduli, Administrator of the Basic Court in Mitrovica; and Mr. Dušan Radaković, Executive Director of ACDC.
The conference began at 11:00 AM at the International Business College Mitrovica. The moderator of the event was Mr. Aleksandar Rapajić, Program Director of ACDC.
In his opening remarks, Mr. Dušan Radaković provided a retrospective overview of the integration process of Kosovo Serbs into Kosovo's legal system, from the Brussels Agreement to their departure from institutions. He also presented the results of the research conducted by NGO ACDC, which provided a comprehensive overview of the situation in northern municipalities and assessed the impact of Kosovo Serb resignations on the functionality of the legal system and law enforcement.
The research, titled "Assessment of the Status of the Judiciary and Police in Northern Kosovo: Impact and Challenges after the Resignations of Kosovo Serbs," was conducted by the NGO ACDC as part of a project that is implemented in collaboration with NGO Aktiv, supported by U.S. Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL).
The research highlighted that the Basic Court in Northern Mitrovica has faced numerous challenges since Serbs left their positions last year. In recent months, the court has mainly been handling urgent cases related to detention or other emergency measures.
"The most critical area was the work of the Civil Division since only three Albanian Kosovar judges remained after the resignation of seven Serbian judges. As a result, about 7,000 cases are pending in the division. The main challenges in their work are the shortage of judges and support staff, lack of interpreters, lack of legal officers, the increasing backlog of cases, increased workload for Albanian Kosovar judges and support staff, and training programs for administrative and court staff," said Dušan Radaković, Executive Director of ACDC.
Following that, Mr. Rapajić, the moderator, gave the floor to Mr. Elshani, Deputy Commander of the Regional Police Unit North, who provided insights into the challenges in the region after Kosovo Serbs left the police. He emphasized the importance of community engagement and building trust among all communities in the north to enhance the effectiveness of the police forces.
He also mentioned that there have been a higher number of cases related to public order disturbances and domestic violence, which are on the rise. He stated that language barriers are not a significant issue as they strive to have at least one police officer who speaks Serbian in each patrol.
"What I can say is that the situation is peaceful. It is improving, but what I have as information is that someone in Serbia can press a button, and there could be problems here. This is a political issue," he added.
Around 550 police officers from the Serbian community left the Kosovo police in November of last year. In the meantime, new officers from the Serbian community have been recruited into the Regional Police Unit North, but their numbers are far from matching those who used to work there. Among them are those who resigned under political and public pressure.
Mr. Elshani mentioned that there are now around 50 members of the Serbian community in the police, so it raises the question of whether it would be a good solution for those who resigned last year to return and fill that gap.
Regarding a question directed at Mr. Elshani about the construction of a police base at Bistrica Bridge, he stated that it currently serves to prevent the smuggling of goods, and its future purpose will be determined.
Following that, Ms. Surduli expressed gratitude to the NGO ACDC for the support they have provided to the Court over the years, including the engagement of translators and legal associates. Regarding the resignations of Kosovo Serbs, she mentioned that there is a noticeable gap that is difficult to fill, but the staff is trying their best to carry out their duties professionally and remain functional, despite being overloaded with work.
"We are overwhelmed with tasks. All the remaining staff is engaged, and with the support we received from ACDC, in terms of legal associates, we are trying to meet the needs of the parties promptly," Surduli said.
In contrast to the police, there is more hope that Serbian judges and prosecutors could return to the judiciary if there is political will.
"The Kosovo Judicial Council has not yet accepted the resignations of Serbian workers, leaving the door open for them to return without significant procedures. My assumption is that it is very difficult to replace judicial staff, especially judges," highlighted Aleksandar Rapajić, Program Director of ACDC and the moderator of this event.
In conclusion, Mr. Radaković stated that the NGO ACDC maintains a good collaboration with these institutions and hopes that this cooperation will continue in the future because, as he stated, the main task of the NGO ACDC is to advocate for human rights, including the rights of Serbs in northern Kosovo.
The conference was attended by numerous representatives of embassies in Kosovo, and international organizations, including UNMIK, EULEX, KFOR, and OSCE as well as various diplomatic missions.
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