Serbian judges, prosecutors' decree fails, Thaci accuses Serbia, EU

42 judges and 14 prosecutors from Kosovo's north failed to take the oath before Kosovo President Hashim Thaci today.

He, in a written statement, accused Serbia of preventing judges and prosecutors from coming to take the oath before him.

According to Thaci, the decree of judges and prosecutors from non-pleasant communities in the Republic of Kosovo is “and one of the affirmative measures which the institutions of the Republic of Kosovo undertake to achieve a full and effective equality of members of communities in all areas of life, economic, social, political and cultural life”.

The current act of swearing, he said, was aimed at full implementation of the Justice Agreement reached in Brussels on February 10, 2015.

“Today, the decree of judges and prosecutors from no majority communities, did not happen because judges and prosecutors candidates did not come for decree. They did not come because they were stumbled by the Republic of Serbia, with the sole goal of not allowing their integration into Kosovo's judicial and prosecutorial system. There is this one step from the many steps the Republic of Serbia takes against our citizens, because the incriminating of judges and prosecutors from the ranks of communities not majority in the Republic of Kosovo has a big role in the lives of communities, in realising their rights and in ensuring equal access to justice”, Thaci said in a statement.

Besides Serbia, Thaci also accused the European Union of failing.

Today's “Action of obstructing judges and prosecutors' candidates from coming to the president today is another failure and other EU inability as mediator in this process of implementing the Justice Agreement”, he said.

But Thaci expressed himself willing to continue dialogue with Serbia.

Despite this deliberate failure orchestrated by Serbia, the Republic of Kosovo will continue to function, given the constitutional principles of all involvement, we therefore invite the parties of the Justice Agreement to fulfill their obligations. The Republic of Kosovo has fulfilled its obligations in every respect”, he said.

Yesterday the EU had confirmed that everything is ready for the start of implementation of this agreement.

This morning, the leaders of Kosovo's justice system were meeting with the president.