Specialist Prosecutor Jack Smith on Tuesday signed a solemn declaration, swearing to exercise his functions independently, impartially and conscientiously, the Specialist Prosecutor’s Office said in a press release.

Smith was selected for the position in May 2018 under procedures organised by the European Union and appointed by EULEX Head of Mission, Alexandra Papadopoulou, it added.

As of July 5, the Specialist Chambers and the Specialist Prosecutor’s Office have been fully judicially operational and at any moment now we can expect to read about potential indictments and trial dates. There was an initial false-start, in which the Rules of Procedure and Evidence were found to be inconsistent with the Constitution, but these rules have now been revised and found to be compliant.

The Assembly of Kosovo might hold during the following days a debate for amendment of the Law on the Special Chambers and the Office of the Specialized Prosecutor. The Commission for Legislation has decided to return the request of six MPs for an Assembly debate on the Special Court, to the Assembly Presidency.

In his first interview since appointed chief prosecutor of the new Kosovo Specialist Prosecutor’s Office, David Schwendiman, told BIRN that suspected criminals are the target of his work, not the Kosovo Liberation Army. “I am not after organisations, I am not after ethnicities, I am looking at individual responsibility for what was done,” David Schwendiman said.