War Crimes Department with only 3 prosecutors needed to increase their number

The increase in the number of prosecutors dealing with cases of war crimes and sexual violence during the war in Kosovo was a topic of discussion between the Ministry of Justice and the Prosecutor's Council with members of the Commission for Human Rights, Gender Equality, for Ungenerated Persons, Victims of Sex Violence of War and Petitions, reports Online Economy.

It was said that this department currently operates with only 3 prosecutors and that the addition of their numbers was considered necessary.

To increase the number of prosecutors in the Department for War Crimes under the Special Prosecutor of Kosovo (PS), the MD also pledged, by the cérast the minister of this dictatorship, Albulen Haxhiu said that by 2021, some 100,000 euros have allocated the budget.

But even with that amount, Haxhiu said that the number of prosecutors has not been added and that this department operates with only 3 prosecutors.

The rise in the number of special procurements, in June 2021 we agreed with the KKP that the number of special prosecutors in that department set up for the fact that a prosecutor has retired and that there have been four prosecutors since. We have agreed that over 100 thousand euros have been allocated to the MD have been dedicated to the KKP so that the KKP can recruit 5 prosecutors, 6 professional collaborators and 2 other support staff”.

This completion has also occurred in the Kosovo Assembly. But since 2021 the number of this department is still small, according to information is only 3. I believe with all the files the Special Prosecutor has for war crimes, it's a very small number to be addressed correctly and correctly. In 2021 there were 70 free spots in the KKP, in 2022, 97 free seats in the Prosecutorial System, in 2023 there were 87 free countries, and in 2024, 87 free places”, Haxhi said.

Prosecutorial Council Chairman Ardian Hajdaraj said that the very big challenge for the procurial system has been the prosecutors' resignations in the country's north.

The “is a challenge, it has not been possible to recruit directly from the SP, but they must go through advance procedures. Another challenge that we have had very big in the prosecutorial system is the resignation of Serbian procurements to the basic prosecutor in Mitrovica, where Serbian prosecutors have resigned. This has been one of the greatest challenges. Because of the difficulties, we had to find an emergency solution twice and send additional prosecutors there. Let's get them from the other prosecutors and get them there. We've finally ordered the chief state prosecutor to send 3 prosecutor<1> there for extraordinary transfer.

“The situation is difficult, we have consistently made reasonable budgetary demands, last year we have made reasonable demands for 21m euros to increase the necessary number in the SP and it has not been approved and only 15m euros have been approved”, where it expresses.

The acting prosecutor of the Department for War Crimes under Special Prosecutor, Ilir Morina, has said that in acts of sexual violence as a war crime, The SP has 50 active cases, where 6 indictments have been filed, in 3 cases have begun formal investigations, while in other cases are still in pre-investigative procedure.

We have inherited a very complex issue from foreign missions. Our first actions have been to identify problems and we have developed a strategy that has been voted on. The first step behind the strategy is the establishment of the special department, currently three prosecutors, is currently the phase of prosecutors' advancement. There have been a large number of subjects that have not been regular”.

We've come to identify about 1,000 subjects. In 2023 we carried out 23 subjects from the War Crimes Department. By 2016 until 2019, there were only 12 subjects. In acts of sexual violence as a war crime, I actually inform you that the SP has 50 active cases, from these cases we have set up six counts, three cases we have begun investigating officials while other cases are still in the pre-investigative procedure” he said.