Kosovo-based media in the Albanian language report that official Pristina and international community are hiding the fact that signing of the agreement on creation of the integrated Albanian-Serbian judiciary in Kosovo was futile work and that joint courts and prosecutors office will not take place in the near future.

Agreement on judiciary was signed on 10 February in Brussels by prime ministers of Serbia and Kosovo, Aleksandar Vucic and Isa Mustafa. Integrated judiciary is due to become operational as of 1 September.

The reason quoted for such pessimism by Pristina-based media is the fact that only one application was submitted so far for the 9 published posts for prosecutors in North Mitrovica, whereas the deadline expires on 25 May. Similar situation refers and to public vacancy for 48 judges, where considerable number of them are supposed to be Serbs.

The vacancy has set conditions, amongst others, that future judges and prosecutors should be ‘citizens of Kosovo’ and have valid diplomas recognized by the Kosovo education system.

It is estimated that there are around 100 Serb judges and prosecutors in Kosovo, however low interest for integrated judiciary is explained with their wish to remain in the Serbian judiciary. They also say that their status is still not clear, their salaries would be lower and that they don’t want to adjudicate on the basis of the laws of unrecognized Kosovo. Their position is somewhat favorable since no one can force them to work in Kosovo judiciary, thus Belgrade has to ensure that they are re-deployed on the territory of Serbia proper.

“There are few more days left until the deadline expires, it is possible that Belgrade and Pristina jointly find some Serbs who are not that knowledgeable lawyers. However, it is impossible to find around 50 Serb judges and prosecutors, as provided by the Brussels Agreement,” said one of the former judges who lives in northern Kosovo.