Kosovo justice, 811 days for an act of justice

342 thousand and 590 subjects continue to remain unresolved in the Constitutional Court, the Appeals, and the Supreme Court.

That is the figure drawn by the Kosovo Judiciary Council in the labour report by September 2017.

Of these unresolved materials, the Pristina Foundation Court leads and its branches continue to inherit and remain unresolved 101 thousand and 904 matter.

There are 31 thousand and 204 courses in the Ferizaj Court. But

19 thousand and 496 in Vushtrri, which is a branch of the Mitrovica Court.

Not only are the collection of unresolved subjects but criticism also over the sentences handed down by the Court, especially those of corruption or involving public officials.

And in the sentences pronounced, there is an important role in the charges brought by the prosecution to the court.

They have often been criticised as poorly based, without sufficient evidence and which are not well investigated.

Despite that, many public officials spent a lot of time here in the Palace of Justice. Some go on trial, some will continue this year, and others who were sentenced were released during 2017.

Kosovo Deputy Prime Minister Fatmir Limaj was acquitted this year of corruption charges and misuse of office in the case known as MTP. Four more were released.

Against Limaj, early in 2017, has begun another court trial that is accused of war crimes.

21 years and 6 months in prison, the Court pronounced this year four Vetevendosje activists, accused of terrorism, dealing with the attack on the Kosovo Assembly in 2015.

Albin Kurti and other Vetvendosje deputies continued facing the tribunal. They are accused of throwing tear gas in the Assembly, while being protected in freedom. The decision is announced on January 3rd of this year.

But the court did not initiate the same procedures for the accused AAK deputies, who are now in position. No court hearings were held for Paul Lekane, Time Kadriyan and Teut Haxhiun.

The Supreme Court has confirmed the war crimes sentence against former KLA Commander General Sylejman Selimi and others.

He was sentenced to eight years in prison until this case was cleared of all charges, Sami Lushtaku.

Lushtaku, will remain with the status of the accused for two more cases: one known as KEK2, and the other linked to his departure from the QK's spaces, as long as he was in custody with “Drenica Group”.

One of the most controversial cases this year has been the conditional sentence of former Constitutional Court Chairman Enver Hasani and two other people.

He was sentenced to 1 and a half years on condition for a tender involving the translation of books for the needs of Pristina University at the time of the reactor.

And even greater reactions caused in public the release from Enver Sekiraqa's detention.

Condemned by the Constitutional Court to 37 years in prison, Sekiraqa returned to his home shortly before the verdict that would turn the case against him into a retrial.

The house arrest measure did not stand in force more than a day, since the conditions appointed by the court failed to comply and therefore Sekiraqa returned to the cell.

The former chairman of the Procuring Organisation, Hysni Hoxha, has been acquitted of abuse of official office, along with two others.

Azem Syla, accused of organised crime, along with 38 others, is expected to appear before the court in 2018 to face charges filed by the Special Prosecutor.

Also, with justice in 2018, ex-Deputer Uke Rugova will continue to face, in the group where the accused is also former Minister Astrit Haraqia in the Italian visa case.

With doors closed to the public, the trial against former Court of Appeals head Sali Mekaj has continued this year.

For the first time since the post-war war, this year it was managed to investigate Kosovo's system of prosecutors and judges from northern Kosovo municipalities. They swore before the president of Kosovo, why they didn't go to the meeting the first time and do it to the next. This process was criticised for nontransparenty and had remarks also on how they swore, not to mention the Republic of the Constitution of Kosovo.

The process began with about nine months late and has still not started well, there has been resignations from Serbian judges.

However, even this agreement has not passed without criticism. Here in the north, except for those mentioned by the KDR leader, a Court of Appeals will work, which will only address complaints about the northern part of Kosovo. We remember that the second instance of the Court, the Appeals, functions as one only for all of Kosovo, based on the Constitution of Kosovo, which defines the functioning of the justice system.

But how many will manage the work these prosecutors and judges in the north, where the Kosovo justice system has not worked for 18 years?

2017 will be remembered for cases of interest to the public that were closed by the Court, continuing obstacles to journalists reporting from Kosovo courts, and continuing not to publish charges by the prosecution.

These challenges and challenges will continue to confront the justice system in 2018 as well.

But this year will also go to everyone's attention as far as the Special Court's Kosovo's work is being launched.

In fact, there were no more than 10 days until the end of 2017 and for several hours the Parliament that had told him The same court in 2015 was tested by the initiative of the three largest parties in the ruling coalition to abolish its law.

The initiative failed, but for the risk of such an act on Kosovo, with a vocabulary rarely heard spoke two ambassadors who were closely following developments in the Assembly.

The court now remains fully functional in anticipation of US prosecutor David Schwendiman's accusation.