Ombudsman: Here are the pre-prison concerns in The Hague, I'll tell the internationals.

Ombudsman Naim Celaj, in November last year, has been on a three-day visit to The Hague's Specialised Chambers Pre-prisonment Centre, and has met with all the detainees except Salih Mustafa. In an interview for Kosovo Press, Qeyaj tells of the concerns of former KLA soldiers who are being held with war crimes claims, while warning that the report on this visit would send Kosovo's Parliament in March. Also, Celaj speaks to the justice system, the Law of Pays, the payment of electricity for northern municipalities, and annexes to anti measures. - CO VID.

The head of the ombudsman institution, Naim Celaj, says the detainees at The Hague have voiced concern with the procedural guarantees they have of a fair and impartial judgment.

The “actually during the conversations I have had with the accused they have expressed concern with the procedural guarantees they have for a fair and impartial judgment and that is the essence of the entire report that I will present, but I will no doubt discuss it at the level of international officials because I consider very important to understand the public and all how that court functions founded on the laws of Kosovo and should be treated in that form. There is no way to create the opinion that the court can see as the stranger, the last time we speak of Kosovo courts as full, legitimate, we have to talk about that court, said Celay.

In this regard, there will also be a report that will then be sent to the Kosovo Assembly.

The good news of all this visit that I have gone to the ombudsman's capacity and that I certainly consider that after this visit we will come up with a report that due to nature having visits and due to the fact that we have to deal with a court will be published with a short version, but which will be included in the ombudsman's report and which will also be addressed to the Kosovo Assembly”, Celaj followed.

Over the years the biggest complaints in the ombudsman institution are addressed for human rights violations by the justice system. While, for reform in this system that is expected to take place through the process of vetoing, whose concept-document has been passed on to Government, Naim Celaj considers the voice of the acts involved must be heard.

We have very carefully conveyed all the debate in terms of vetoation, but also with concrete actions being taken by authorities. Of course, since we don't have a final decision or law our position could be on the basis of assumptions about what will happen in the future, but on the basis of what is seen so far, we will be careful in our assessments always in that principle or principles that we have been called into the past that should respect the separation of powers, is one of the foundations of democracy and rule of law. On the other hand, the mechanisms of self-control should be increased within judicial institutions and in all subsequent actions that come next with this aim to improve the performance of the judicial system and trust in the justice system, I believe that the voice of self-representing acts that constitute this system as a separate power and the further away from political interference because policy intervention in this process will not help but only harm in this process”, Celaj stressed.

The cell calls for the Government of Kosovo to start working as soon as possible in drafting the Law of Pays and its approval. To the executive, it is critical of the approach to unionist voices that are seeking this law through protests.

“In the current situation I have two concerns, the first concern relates to the fact that the Government has not seen the necessary steps in realising this issue in drafting the new law and sending it to the Assembly for voting and then adopting it. And the second concern is the way in which the unionists are approaching the voices of public authorities and this to me is an unacceptable approach because the right of union and union organisation is right guaranteed with the Constitution and no one can prove in any way to affect or harm such a right. Of course, unionists' right to demand realisation of their rights is a guaranteed right, and I expect that the Government will reflect so that in this direction it needs to take concrete steps in establishing this very vital and very essential law for our society”, he stressed.

The ombudsman institution last year had accepted several requests regarding the coverage of the electricity fee spent in northern municipalities. Celaj says that they have not yet come up with any stance on the issue, but that they continue to stay behind that these actions discriminate against the rest of citizens who pay the costs of electricity themselves.

“We have not come up with an attitude or opinion regarding the recent actions the Government has taken in proportion to the coverage of energy losses in this period through the provision of funds allocated by the Government for a single reason because we have considered such a legal act of government could be legitimate. If you present indirect discrimination for the rest of Kosovo's residents who do not live in the northern part I continue to remain in the conclusion that, there is discrimination, because the very fact that the inequity treatment of citizens only on the basis of the territory they live for us is a concern and violation of human rights”, Qeyaj said.

Due to the pandemic situation, and with the aim of preventing COVID-19, the Kosovo government has consistently adopted restrictive measures. Decisions that prevent access to public institutions without a certificate of inoculation also caused several complaints to the ombudsman.

The key says that in this respect he does not consider human rights violated, as restrictive measures have been taken to benefit public health.

“S recently carried out several complaints related to the Government's decision on restrictive measures, which are primarily about limiting access to public and private objects or the certificate or confirmation that you've passed COVID or vaccinated, and in this direction we haven't come up with an opinion or public position because seeing the practice of how other states who are even earlier are faced with this concern, we have come to the conclusion that it is legitimate to take restrictive measures from the state when it is in public health, it's important that public authorities are careful to limit the freedom of human rights and to those fundamental principles that should always be legitimate, and that the need to be taken, and that is, to say, to be, of course, of course, that is, of course, to say, that is, that is, it is, of course, it is, it is, it is, it is, it is, it is, it is, it is, it is, it is, it is, it is, it is, it is, it is, it is, it is, it is, it is, it is, it is, it is, it is, it is, it is,

During 2021 the ombudsman institution has provided a total of 147 recommendations for public authorities on various issues. And implementation of the recommendations, according to the ombudsman, is growing over the years by institutions addressing them.