3 minutes agoUN: Kosovo faces corruption, intervention in justice
Periskopi(8 years ago)
(8 years ago)The U.S. State Department says that major human rights problems in Kosovo during 2017 were attacks on journalists, violence against displaced persons, political corruption, the lack of judicial independence, including the failures of processes implementing key decisions and violence against members of ethnic minorities and members of the community [...]
The annual human rights report stresses that the government took steps to prosecute and punish officials who committed violations in security services. Many opposition representatives, civil society and media believed high officials were involved in corruption without punishment, the Voice of America conveys.
The report finds that the European Union's mission for rule of law and local prosecutors have continued to prosecute war crimes cases committed during the 1998-99 conflict, while describing cases of suspension of investigations because the alleged leaders are unknown “”.
The report also included the initiative of December 22, 2017, of a group of MPs for abolishing the law establishing the Special Court that will address war crimes and post-war claims in Kosovo. The various parliamentary “said they acted under the guidelines of political leaders. The initiative was overturned under pressure from some opposition leaders and the international community, but supporters continued efforts to abolish by the end of the year. The Special Prosecution has not pressed any charges until the end of”.
The report also included the International Red Cross data that nothing is further known about the fate of a thousand and 658 persons missing during the war. “Observers claim that about 70 percent are Albanians, while 30 percent are Serbian, Roma, Ashkali, Egypt, Bosniak and Montenegrin”.
The report also describes the state of prisons and detention centres that, according to him, meet certain standards, but continue the problems, in particular, lack of rehabilitation programmes, violence among prisoners, corruption, exposure to radical religious or political views and inadequate medical care.
The report also mentioned investigations into the death of the activities of the Vetvendosje movement Astrit Dehari in 2016.
Although the Constitution offers an independent justice, it says, according to the European Commission, Nongovernmental Organisations and Ombudsman, the justice administration was slow and had no opportunity to seek accounts from judicial officials. The structures of justice were subject to political interference with controversial appointments and unclear mandates. The courts are in charge of unresolved materials. During the first six months of the year, courts resolved 170 thousand cases and seized 130 thousand new cases. According to the Kosovo Judiciary Council, 358 thousand and 135 civil and criminal administrative and commercial cases were pending until July. In addition, 154 thousand and 596 small works were pending trial.
A mechanism for disciplinary procedures against judges and prosecutors is in effect, but was inefficient. Authorities sometimes failed to comply with court orders, including those of the Constitutional Court, especially decisions that were in favour of minorities.
The report also cites implementation of the justice system agreement in Kosovo's heavily inhabited Serb north, where the integration of courts into Kosovo's judicial system has begun since October.
The constitution and law ensure freedom of expression, and the government in general respected that, the report says, but reliable reports say that several “public officials, politicians, businesses and radical religious groups intended to intimidate media representatives. The media also faced difficulties in obtaining information from the government and public institutions, as provided by law”.
The growing financial difficulties of media, said the report, put editorial independence at risk. Some journalists gave up research reports due to fear and uncertainty at work. Journalists occasionally accepted financial benefits in exchange for positive reporting or giving up research”.
According to the report, journalists have complained that media owners have prevented them from publishing critical confessions about the government, political parties or certain officials. In some cases, owners threatened to fire journalists if they publish critical reports. Journalists also complained that they have been prevented by owners from reporting high-level corruption.
The report highlights restrictions on freedom of movement caused by the tense situation in Kosovo's north, as well as difficulties in returning displaced persons.
The report emphasises that despite claims of their dissolution, Serbia's government has continued to retain some of its parallel structures in Serb majority municipalities.
It points out that the campaign for the June 2017 general elections in northern Kosovo has been carried out by the intimidation of candidates who were not part of the Serbian List.
The report stresses that the government has not effectively implemented the law enabling persecution of officials involved in corruption, and this phenomenon remains a serious problem.
The lack of effective judicial supervision and overall weaknesses in rule of the law contributed to this problem. Consistent cases of corruption were submitted to repeated appeals, and the judicial system often allowed subject vitrination without handling cases”.
The report also highlights family violence and the low sentences of violent authors as well as efforts to establish standards in property sharing. It also notes that relatively few women hold leading positions in businesses, police, or government.
The report also deals with records of child rights violations, early marriages and sexual exploitation of minors, child involvement in serious physical work, and violation of community rights.
