In a statement to the media, Kosovo’s Ministry of Justice has clarified that the proposed provisions to the Criminal Code of Kosovo regarding offenses against state symbols have been taken from the German legislation which is known as a country with highest standards of human rights safeguards. Furthermore, said the Ministry of Justice, offenses against constitutional authorities are also sanctioned in other EU countries like France, Italy, Poland, Greece, Lithuania, Slovenia. “Freedom of expression, including criticizing state institutions, is a fundamental right guaranteed by the Constitution and an inviolable basis for a democratic constitutional order. At the same time, respect for constitutional authority and state symbols requires the criticism to be grounded and not aimed at denigration or offense,” the Ministry of Justice said. The Ministry added it remains open to opinions and proposals regarding the articles in question and if “after exhaustive debates, the prevailing position is that it is okay for the constitutional authorities and the state symbols to be offended without being sanctioned, the Ministry of Justice will act in line with this stance.”