Code changes required to enable sentence for Serbian crimes in Kosovo

Nineteen years since the war ended, Serbian crimes have still remained unpunished.

As Serbian criminals continue to be free and protected by their state, Kosovo's main goal is reconciliation with Serbia, KTV reports.

But Serb criminals who witness are known by name and surname may receive due sentence in Kosovo, though in absentia, if the Parliament's deputies support Vetevendosje's initiative, so that through changes to the Penal Procedure Code, the judgment be made in the absence of persons charged with committing war crimes in Kosovo.

Vetevendosje MP Albulen Haxhiu has said there has been neglect by local institutions in this direction, and many obstacles from foreign missions in Kosovo as UNMIK and EULEX.

She says she has tried to make these changes on the basis of international standards.

MPs from the ruling parties say Kosovo is too late in this direction.

If these changes are possible, then the investigation, prosecution and judicial investigation will take place for the 1990s until 1999.

But establishing criminal jurisdiction over one case could take place after these possibilities are taken: The person under investigation has been asked in states where it is supposed to be under the principle of international judicial co-operation at least five times and only after such a request has been rejected or neglected entirely by the member state bodies, put into use every channel of international police co-operation and such a channel has failed to stop the person in the investigation, or after failing to achieve the goal, the person in the investigation has been declared in search of criminal procedure for at least six months in the means of public information of the Republic of Kosovo, including the Official Journal of the Republic of Kosovo.