Headlines-21052016

Constitutional Court decides in favour of Deçan/Dečani Monastery (Koha)

Kosovo's Constitutional Court has ruled on the request for constitutional review of two decisions of 12 June 2015, related to the Kosovo Privatization Agency disputed properties in Deçan/Dečan. The request submitted by the Deçan/Dečani Monastery, which was presented by Sava Janjić, Abbot of the Monastery, challenges the decision of the Appellate Panel of the Special Chamber of the Supreme Court on Privatization Agency of Kosovo Related Matters of 12 June 2015. As a result, the Constitutional Court ruled that the two Decisions of the Appellate Panel on Privatization Agency of Kosovo Related Matters are null and void, and that the two Decisions of the Specialized Panel on Ownership of the Special Chamber of the Supreme Court on Privatization Agency of Kosovo Related Matters of 27 December 2012, No. SCC-08-0226 and No. SCC-08-0227, are final and binding, and as such are res judicata. The Court also concluded that there has been a violation of Article 31 of the Constitution in conjunction with Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights. Kosovo’s President, Hashim Thaçi, through a Facebook post said that the decision of the Constitutional Court is based on Kosovo Constitution and the European Convention. "The decision of the Constitutional Court over church property in Deçan/Dečan is based on the Kosovo Constitution and the European Convention on Human Rights. Kosovo is a state of law where judicial decisions are respected,” Thaçi wrote.

The Court’s ruling can be found here: http://www.gjk-ks.org/repository/docs/KI132-15_ANG.pdf

 Deçan/Dečan historians announce protests in front of Constitutional Court (Koha)

Selim Lokaj, member of the Kosovo Historians League, told the news site that the decision of the Constitutional Court for Deçan/Dečan disputed properties which, according to this decision, remain in the ownership of Deçan/Dečani Monastery, is unacceptable. He said they will oppose this decision and announced that there will be protests in Deçan/Dečan and in Prstina in front of the Constitutional Court. Meanwhile, Mayor of Deçan/Dečan, Rasim Selmanaj, said the decision of the Constitutional Court was shameful and it was a betrayal of Kosovo’s interests and its people.

Haliti: Demarcation issue must be solved, visa liberalisation can wait (RTK)

Kosovo Assembly Deputy Speaker and senior member of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), Xhavit Haliti, told RTK on Friday that all the issues and concerns should be clarified prior to ratification of border-demarcation agreement with Montenegro. Haliti said that visa liberalisation issue can wait, because more important is resolving the issue of demarcation. He said the government must convince citizens that Kosovo is not losing land with this agreement. "Prime Minister Isa Mustafa should first discuss this issue with all parliamentary groups. We need to convince people in order not to create uncomfortable situations. Above all, if it is true that Kosovo loses land with this agreement, then I believe it shouldn’t be voted,” Haliti said. “If people are convinced that Kosovo lands were given to Montenegro, I don’t believe they will allow this to go smoothly. Anything can happen,” Haliti said.

Abrashi: Draft-law on Armed Forces to be sent to Assembly soon (media)

Kosovo government spokesperson Arban Abrashi said yesterday that the draft-law on transformation of the Kosovo Security Force (KSF) into Kosovo Armed Forces (KAF), is being finalised and will be sent to the Kosovo Assembly soon. Meanwhile, the United States Ambassador to Kosovo, Greg Delawie, during a meeting with the KSF Minister Haki Demolli, said the U.S. will support the process of transformation of the KSF into Kosovo Armed Forces.

Hyseni: Interpol to decide on Kosovo’s membership in June (TV21)

Kosovo’s Interior Minister, Skender Hyseni, said yesterday that Interpol’s Executive Committee is expected to decide on Kosovo’s application to join this organisation during June this year.

EU ministers discuss visa liberalisation for Kosovo and other countries (dailies)

The European Union (EU) interior ministers discussed on Friday the European Commission’s recommendation for visa liberalisation for Kosovo, Georgia, Ukraine and Turkey. The EU Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship, Dimitris Avramopoulos, reiterated that Kosovo has yet to ratify the agreement on border-demarcation with Montenegro and fight organized crime and corruption prior to visa-free travel. The interior ministers also proposed a mechanism that would make it easier for EU countries to suspend visa-free travel. Such mechanism allows temporary re-imposition of visa requirements on visitors from a particular non-EU country when they overstay or make unfounded asylum applications. "Visa liberalisation has great advantages for the EU and third countries, but we need to make sure that visa liberalization cannot be abused,” said Klaas Dijkhoff, Netherlands’ migration minister.

Kosovo imam jailed for ten years for aiding Islamic State (dailies)

The Basic Court in Ferizaj/Uroševac sentenced seven men to a total of 42 years in jail for aiding the Islamic State.  The main defendant, Imam Zekerja Qazimi, accused for recruiting young Kosovars to go and fight in Syria, was jailed for ten years. Others were found guilty of "fighting with the terrorist organization ISIS.”