Assembly to vote on special court on Monday (dailies)
The Presidency of the Assembly of Kosovo decided yesterday that the constitutional amendments that enable the establishment of the special court to be put into a vote on Monday. Prime Minister Isa Mustafa said that the establishment of the special court has a great importance for the future of Kosovo. “Kosovo through the approval of these amendments clearly demonstrates the determination of its Government for the rule of law and achieving the highest international standards of justice,” Mustafa said, expressing confidence that establishing special court is a long-term benefit for Kosovo.
Musliu: Foreign embassies told us to vote for special court (Koha)
The Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) MP, Ganimete Musliu, said yesterday that the foreign embassies in Kosovo met with MPs, asking them to vote for the establishment of the special court. Musliu once again reiterated her decision to vote against the special court in the Assembly. “I believe Kosovo doesn’t need to establish a selective court. The special court would try the Kosovo Liberation Army alleged crimes and this shows that this court is not fair,” Musliu said.
Former Hague prosecutor: Special court will serve Serbia’s interests (Zeri)
The former prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, Sir Geoffrey Nice, said that the special court cannot bring any benefit to the image of Kosovo. “This court would not bring any benefit for Kosovo and its citizens, and in fact it would serve Serbia’s interests,” Nice said. “If the Assembly does not approve the special court, then what comes as a threat is that it could be decided by the United Nations, through the Security Council. There are people who believe that this would be better, since it would be a UN body and it would take into account all parties, and so on. But, nevertheless, I have heard that it is highly unlikely for the UN to establish such court,” he added.
Serbia mobilizes all its mechanisms against Kosovo’s membership in UNESCO (Koha)
Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic said yesterday that Serbia will do everything on its power to thwart Kosovo’s membership in UNESCO.”Serbia will do everything it can to inform the UNESCO member countries that Kosovo’s membership would be a mistake,” Dacic said. He stressed that it is important that all institutions – the Ministry of Culture, Serbian Orthodox Church and Serbian Academy of Sciences jointly participate in the diplomatic fight, as he said, to preserve Serbian cultural heritage.
Irinej: With Kosovo’s membership in UNESCO, monasteries might be taken from us (Zeri/Koha)
The Serbian Patriarch Irinej, in an interview for the Belgrade-based Vecernje Novosti, said that the United States of America and the European Union are taking the sanctity of the Serbian people, alluding to Orthodox monasteries in Kosovo. Irinej has expressed concern that most of the church monuments that Serbia claims to belong to the Serbian Orthodox Church, are located overseas, and might be taken from the Serbian people.”Taking the Serbian holy sites in Kosovo is in the spirit of the Albanian authorities, and unfortunately it is also the character of the EU and America,” he said while commenting on Kosovo’s application for membership in UNESCO
Djuric to meet Kosovo Serbs today (Lajmi)
The director of the Office for Kosovo in the Serbian Government, Marko Djuric, will meet today in Mitrovica North with the Mayors and representatives of institutions from four municipalities in northern Kosovo (Mitrovica North, Leposavic, Zvecan and Zubin Potok). According to a press release sent by Djuric’s Office, the meeting will also be attended by ministers of the Serbian List in the Kosovo government. The main topic of the meeting is expected to be the establishment of the Association/Community of Serb-majority Municipalities in Kosovo.
Indictment filed against Enver Hasani (dailies)
Special Prosecution of Kosovo (SPRK) through a press release announced that it has filed an indictment against Enver Hasani, former President of the Constitutional Court and former rector of the University of Pristina (UP). Hasani is accused of committing fraud while holding official duty while he was rector of the University of Pristina.
