28.10.2024. » 10:07 | ACDC
Press release 28.10.2024 - A Call for International Action on Police Abuse Against Non-Majority Communities
After the EULEX mission responded to our call regarding the Subotić case, we inform the public that we acknowledge this first step in establishing accountability for police torture against our fellow citizen Miloš Subotić, and we eagerly await further reports on the actions of the Police Inspectorate in this case.
After the EULEX mission responded to our call regarding the Subotić case, we inform the public that we acknowledge this first step in establishing accountability for police torture against our fellow citizen Miloš Subotić, and we eagerly await further reports on the actions of the Police Inspectorate in this case. We remind EULEX that only the public release of reports can have a corrective effect; therefore, we demand regular public updates on the findings of the monitoring mission in this case. The practice of presenting reports internally to the very institutions that violate citizens' rights, especially after recent events in the north, has proven inadequate and does not contribute to the essential goals of the EULEX mission.
We consider this case only one in a series indicating systematic use of torture and excessive force in northern Kosovo, and we appeal to international organizations and diplomatic missions to address this issue structurally. To this end, we call upon:
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The Council of Europe Office in Kosovo to, in its reports on police torture in northern Kosovo, inform all members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and to include the issue of systematic police abuse against non-majority groups in Kosovo in discussions regarding Kosovo's potential membership in this organization.
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The European Union to, in its annual report on Kosovo's progress towards the EU, report on cases of police torture against Serbian citizens and provide resources to strengthen civilian oversight of the police apparatus through its mechanisms.
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The United States to, in the State Department's annual report on human rights in Kosovo, highlight the practice of excessive use of force by the Kosovo police and urge the Government of Kosovo to take immediate and concrete steps to establish ethnic balance within police structures in line with constitutional principles.
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International organizations such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch to include parameters for police conduct towards non-majority communities in Kosovo in their methodologies for assessing the state of democracy, and to integrate findings on these practices into the ratings assigned to Kosovo.
Additionally, we call on other international missions in Kosovo, including the OSCE, UNMIK, and OHCHR, to intensify activities in monitoring the conduct of the Kosovo police towards non-majority communities and to report regularly to the public.
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