Ombudsman:unification of gulenists Versus International Standards

Allegations raised that international standards of human freedom and rights have been violated, has prompted the Kosovo Ombudsman to launch investigations concerning the deportation of six Turkish citizens last week.

Security authorities in Kosovo, under the argument that these persons pose a danger to national security, initially revoted the same right to stay and then deported them from Kosovo to Turkey, in co-operation with Turkish intelligence.

In a conversation for Radio Free Europe, the Ombudsman, Hilmi Jashari, said the actions undertaken by public authorities are contrary to international standards for human rights and freedoms applicable in the internal legal system of the Republic of Kosovo.

He said concerns related to implementing local laws have also been conveyed, respectively. In a preliminary assessment, he claims, these laws have not been observed.

Jashari said it was concerns conveyed by members of the families of persons who were expelled from Kosovo, who have postponed this institution to begin investigations.

“I have decided to open investigations at the moment when we understand that they have been deported by Kosovo, and that for my opinion is in full opposition to international standards that are applicable in the Constitution of Kosovo, and this is considered as one of the most serious violations involving protection from mistreatment, shame, inhuman and degrading treatment that is Article 3 of the European Convention and the procedural aspects that also relate to the implementation of this Article”, Yashar told Radio Free Europe.

The ombudsman said it is early to talk about the results of these investigations, but has added that they are receiving information from all institutions that have been involved in the case.

“It is hard to speak and judge now the investigations and actions we are taking, but we are in the phase of collecting all information from all relevant institutions that have been involved in this process and we are investigating what is most important, the decision-making process and the implementation of procedures or not of the authorities who have been called to conduct this procedure in accordance with these standards that I mention<1>, the Ombudsman stressed.

Deporting these six people according to him would have to be done by respecting all procedures.

“In no state is denied the opportunity to deport or extradite a person, but not without forwarding the procedure steps that are guaranteed even with local laws, and that is my main concern, not only is I being confident, but also of all institutions and organisations dealing with human rights protection”, Jashar said.

On March 29th, Kosovo Police have arrested and deported six Turkish citizens to Turkey, five of them employees at the “Mehmet Akif” school, while the sixth outcast was a Turkish doctor.

The schools “Mehmet Akif” in Kosovo belong to the Education Institute Glisistan. The latter has gardens, pre-school institutions, elementary and high schools throughout Kosovo.

It is believed that they are inspired by Fetullah Gulen's Hizmet Movement, Turkey's religious clergyman, whom Turkish President Recep Tayip Erdogan blames for orchestrating the coup effort in Turkey in 2016.

Education Ministry officials in Kosovo have earlier declared for Radio Free Europe that these schools act in accordance with Kosovo's laws.