Just one war crimes indictment over a year: Light Hajdari agrees with the report, says it sounds like it's working.

For only one person, the prosecution has filed charges of war crimes during the past year. The War Crimes Department says the defendant's lack of physical presence is unable to establish charges. Meanwhile, foreign ambassadors say the biggest enemy to establish justice for victims is the time.

So said the presentation of the Fund's annual Human Rights Report by monitoring the judgments on war crimes and politically motivated criminal acts during 2021.

Amer Alija from the Fund for Humanitarian Law said they have monitored 50 court hearings in war crimes cases and 20 hearings related to criminal acts related to political background.

Two people have been arrested with war crimes allegations. During this period, five cases against six persons have been processed in the annual report in 2021 to account for 13 tests of judicial processes involving war crimes 10 of these cases are of war crimes. It is sufficient to describe that the situation is not satisfying, with only one person being accused of war crimes for 2021. 70 people have been sentenced by institutions in Kosovo”, he has presented the report.

War crimes department leader Drita Hajdari stressed that they have major challenges in investigating and judging war crimes cases. She didn't agree with the report.

The prosecutor has investigated cases where we have secured the defendant's physical presence. We cannot file charges for those who are not present. When it is said that during the year 2021, only one charge has been established, it may seem that it is not being worked. I consider that judgment in absence is necessary, even in terms of victims' rights”, she said.

At the table with the “Current types of war crimes proceedings in Kosovo”, Great Britain's Ambassador Nicholas Abbott said the challenge of establishing justice is that many of the perpetrators are not in Kosovo.

Many survivors are dead, or too old to ask incredible and difficult questions. Addressing these challenges is essential. Family members are required to be imprisoned. Only 213 people have been charged and only 71 have been convicted. 23 at the end of the crime, family members have the right to know about the fate of their families. Victims should not be victims of politics. It's good to hear from the government that this is a priority. We also welcome the increase in the number of prosecutors”, he said.

Pauline Menthonex Gacaferri, who is deputy head of the mission from the Swiss Embassy in Kosovo, stressed that war crimes victims are entitled to justice.

The state is tasked with investigating human rights violations. The culture of impunity can erode peace, in the context of the Western Balkans and by delaying integration into the European Union”, it has stressed.

And the chief of the Department for Juridical Affairs and Adviser for Law Rule in the European Union Office, Hakan Edevervik, said they are supporting the process by over fourm euros.

“Four cases have been in cases since 2018 and these are in the Constitutional Court in Mitrovica, and no session has been held for these cases”, he stressed, until he spoke of court processes.