The People’s Advocate, Naim Qelaj, has sent a letter through diplomatic channels to the US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, the US Department of Justice and the funding states of the Specialized Chambers of Kosovo, conveying the report “Preliminary Assessment of the Specialized Chambers of Kosovo” and raising serious concerns based on its findings. At the same time, the letter was forwarded to the foreign ministers of Switzerland, Norway, Turkey and Canada.
According to the Ombudsman’s announcement, the report has also been distributed to senior international officials, including the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, the high representative of the EU for foreign policy, Kaja Kallas, the president of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, as well as leaders of the Council of Europe.
In the letter, the Ombudsman expresses concerns about guaranteeing a fair trial in the proceedings of the Specialized Chambers, referring to the findings of the organization “Bar Human Rights Committee of England and Wales”. He emphasizes that the institution he leads has continuously monitored the respect of basic rights and the conditions of detainees, while due to ongoing concerns, he engaged the BHRC for an independent assessment.
According to the report, serious problems have been identified in the protection of procedural guarantees, especially in relation to the right to a fair, transparent and impartial trial.
“In this context, it is recalled that these standards are guaranteed by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the European Convention on Human Rights, which are directly applied in the legal order of Kosovo through the Constitution”, the announcement states.
Qelaj underlines that the respect of these principles is essential for the legitimacy and reliability of judicial processes, demanding that the practices of the court fully comply with the highest international standards of justice, transparency and independence.
He emphasizes that addressing the identified concerns is necessary not only for the protection of the rights of the accused, but also for maintaining the integrity of the judicial process.
The Ombudsman recalls Kosovo’s continuous commitment to international justice and the rule of law, stressing that the establishment of the Specialized Chambers in The Hague was made through constitutional amendments and relevant legislation. He also singles out the fact that senior political representatives of Kosovo have voluntarily surrendered to face justice, as evidence of institutional commitment to accountability and international cooperation.
