In an interview to KoSSev news portal, President of the Basic Court in Mitrovica, Nikola Kabasic said that the Court in North Mitrovica within the Kosovo judicial system will start operating on Monday, at 8.00.

On the same day, the judges will start work in the court building in the former Jugobanka facility in South Mitrovica, as well as in the court units in Leposavic and Zubin Potok. In the north, the Department of the Kosovo Court of Appeals will also be led by the judge Milan Bigovic. This department will deal with the appeals and not the court in Pristina.

Kabasic also said that according to the agreement, there would be 9 Serbian and 8 Albanian judges who would adjudicate in the cases related to general and aggravated crimes, while the Department of Appeals will have 5 Serbs and 2 Albanians. In South Mitrovica there will be 14 Albanian and 11 Serbian judges.

Kabasic said that there will be three plus three judges in Leposavic, who would handle all the cases and pointed out that they lack two Serbian judges in the south, adding that in the coming months they would fill in these positions with a transfer of judges from Urosevac or Lipljan. Kabasic highlighted that he would strive to uphold the agreement and to maintain the ethnic balance in the courts.

Kabasic further said to KoSSev that the Department of Appeals is located in an annex to the court building in North Mitrovica and that the Head of that Department is the judge Milan Bigovic.

“Therefore, our appeals from the north will not go to Pristina. All that we adjudicate in the first instance, the appeal will be deliberated here in North Mitrovica. The mixed panel of judges, with a Serbian majority, will deal with appeals,” Kabasic said.