| KOSOVO Republic of Kosovo Republika e Kosoves/Republika Kosova United Nations Special Administrative Region since 10 June 1999 Human Rights as assured by their constitution Click here Updated 02/11/11 |
| CAPITAL |
| POPULATION |
| CHIEF OF STATE |
| SELECTION PROCESS |
Pristina (Prishtine)
1,815,048 (July 2010 est.)
Hashim Thaci
Prime Minister since 9 January 2008
Prime Minister since 9 January 2008
The president is elected for a 5-year term by the Kosovo Assembly;
election last held 9 January 2008; Assembly Speaker Jakup
Krasniqi became acting president after President Fatmir Sejdiu
resigned
Next scheduled election: 2013
election last held 9 January 2008; Assembly Speaker Jakup
Krasniqi became acting president after President Fatmir Sejdiu
resigned
Next scheduled election: 2013
HEAD OF GOVERNMENT
SELECTION PROCESS
The prime minister is elected by the Kosovo Assembly Elections
last held on 17 November 2007
Next scheduled election: 2011
last held on 17 November 2007
Next scheduled election: 2011
| DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS |
| ETHNIC GROUPS |
Albanians 88%, Serbs 7%, other 5% (Bosniak, Gorani, Roma, Turk, Ashkali, Egyptian)
| RELIGIONS |
Muslim, Serbian Orthodox, Roman Catholic
| GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE |
Republic with 30 municipalities (komunat, singular - komuna in Albanian; opstine, singular - opstina in Serbian)
Executive: The president is elected for a 5-year term by the Kosovo Assembly; election last held 9 January 2008 (next to be held by special
election in 2011); note - the Assembly election for president must take place by 28 March 2011, when the acting president's mandate
expires; the prime minister elected by the Kosovo Assembly
Legislative: Unicameral Kosovo Assembly of the Provisional Government (120 seats; 100 seats directly elected, 10 seats for
Serbs, 10 seats for other minorities; to serve three-year terms)
elections: last held 12 December 2010 with runoff elections in a few municipalities in January 2011 (next expected to be held in
2015)
Judicial: Supreme Court judges are appointed by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG); district courts
judges are appointed by the SRSG; municipal courts judges are appointed by the SRSG
note: after the termination of UNMIK's mandate, the Kosovo Judicial Council (KJC) will propose to the president candidates for
appointment or reappointment as judges and prosecutors; the KJC is also responsible for decisions on the promotion and transfer
of judges and disciplinary proceedings against judges; at least 15% of Supreme Court and district court judges shall be from
non-majority communities
Executive: The president is elected for a 5-year term by the Kosovo Assembly; election last held 9 January 2008 (next to be held by special
election in 2011); note - the Assembly election for president must take place by 28 March 2011, when the acting president's mandate
expires; the prime minister elected by the Kosovo Assembly
Legislative: Unicameral Kosovo Assembly of the Provisional Government (120 seats; 100 seats directly elected, 10 seats for
Serbs, 10 seats for other minorities; to serve three-year terms)
elections: last held 12 December 2010 with runoff elections in a few municipalities in January 2011 (next expected to be held in
2015)
Judicial: Supreme Court judges are appointed by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG); district courts
judges are appointed by the SRSG; municipal courts judges are appointed by the SRSG
note: after the termination of UNMIK's mandate, the Kosovo Judicial Council (KJC) will propose to the president candidates for
appointment or reappointment as judges and prosecutors; the KJC is also responsible for decisions on the promotion and transfer
of judges and disciplinary proceedings against judges; at least 15% of Supreme Court and district court judges shall be from
non-majority communities
| LANGUAGES |
Albanian (official), Serbian (official), Bosniak, Turkish, Roma
| BRIEF HISTORY |
The area of Kosovo in the Neolithic lay within the areal of the Vinča-Turdaş culture (Western Balkanic black and grey pottery).
The Bronze Age begins in ca. the 20th century BC, and the Iron Age begins in ca. the 13th century BC. Bronze and Iron Age
tombs have been found only in Metohija, and not in Kosovo. The area comes to lie within the eastern parts of the kingdom of Illyria
in the 4th century BC, bordering on Thrace. At the time, it is inhabited by the Thraco-Illyrian tribes of the Dardani and the Thracian
tribe of the Triballi. Illyria was conquered by Rome in the 160s BC, and made the Roman province of Illyricum in 59 BC. The
Kosovo region became part of Moesia Superior in AD 87 (or alternatively was divided between Dalmatia and Moesia, a view
which is supported by some archaeological evidence). Upper Moesia was reorganized further by Diocletian (after 284) into smaller
provinces, being further divided into Dardania, Moesia Prima, Dacia Ripensis and Dacia Mediterranea. The Dardania´s capital was
Naissus. Roman province of Dardania included eastern parts of modern Kosovo, while its western part belong to newly formed
Roman province Prevalitana with capital in Doclea. Justinian I, who assumed the throne of the Byzantine Empire in 527, oversaw a
period of Byzantine expansion into former Roman territories, and re-absorbed the area of Kosovo into the empire. He is often
referred to by historians as the last "Roman" emperor because Latin was his native tongue and because he was the last emperor to
make a serious attempt to reunite the Latin-speaking West with the East. The Slavic migrations reached the Balkans in the 6th to 7th
century. The area was absorbed into the Byzantine empire in the 850s. The region was incorporated into the Bulgarian Empire
during the reign of Khan Presian (836-852). Numerous churches and monasteries were constructed after the Christianization of
Bulgaria in 864. It remained within the borders of Bulgaria for 150 years until 1018 when the country was overrun by the Byzantines
after half-century bitter struggle. Byzantine control was subsequently reasserted by the forceful emperor Basil II. Serbia at this time
was not a united empire: a number of small Serbian kingdoms lay to the north and west of Kosovo, of which Raška (central modern
Serbia) and Duklja (Montenegro) were the strongest. In the 1180s, the Serbian ruler Stefan Nemanja seized control of Duklja and
parts of Kosovo. His successor, Stefan Prvovenčani took control of the rest of Kosovo by 1216, creating a state incorporating
most of the area which is now Serbia and Montenegro. Kosovo was absorbed into Serbia in the late 12th century, and was part of
the Serbian Empire from 1346 to 1371. In 1389, in the famous Battle of Kosovo the army of the Serbian Prince Lazar Hrebljanovic
was defeated by the Ottoman Turks, who finally took control of the territory in 1455. In 1355, the Serbian state fell apart on the
death of Tsar Stefan Dušan and dissolved into squabbling fiefdoms. The timing fell perfectly within the Ottoman expansion. The
Ottoman Empire took the opportunity to exploit Serbian weakness and invaded. The First Battle of Kosovo occurred on the field of
Kosovo Polje on June 28, 1389, when the ruling knez (prince) of Serbia, Lazar Hrebeljanović, marshalled a coalition of Christian
soldiers, made up of Serbs, but also of Bosnian Serbs, Magyars and a troop of Saxon mercenaries. Although the battle has been
mythologised as a great Serbian defeat, at the time opinion was divided as to whether it was a Serbian defeat, a stalemate or
possibly even a Serbian victory. Serbia maintained its independence and sporadic control of Kosovo until a final defeat in 1455,
following which Serbia became part of the Ottoman Empire. The Second Battle of Kosovo was fought over the course of a two-
day period in October 1448, between a Hungarian force lead by John Hunyadi and an Ottoman army lead by Murad II. The
Ottomans brought Islam with them and later also created the Vilayet of Kosovo as one of the Ottoman territorial entities. Ottoman
rule lasted for about 500 years, in which time the Ottomans were the absolute paramount power in the region. Many Slavs accepted
Islam and served under Ottomans. Kosovo was taken temporarily by the Austrian forces during the War of 1683–1699 with help
of Serbs but were defeated and retreated shortly thereafter. In 1690, the Serbian Patriarch of Peć Arsenije III, who previously
escaped a certain death, led 37,000 families from Kosovo, to evade Ottoman wrath since Kosovo had just been retaken by the
Ottomans. The people that followed him were mostly Serbs. Due to the oppression from the Ottomans, other migrations of
Orthodox people from the Kosovo area continued throughout the 18th century. It is also noted that many Albanians adopted Islam,
whilst only a very small minority of Serbs did so. In 1766, the Ottomans abolished the Patriarchate of Peć and the position of
Christians in Kosovo was greatly reduced. All previous privileges were lost, and the Christian population had to suffer the full weight
of the Empire's extensive and losing wars, even having blame forced upon them for the losses. During the 1877–1878 Russo-
Turkish war, the Serbian troops invaded the northeastern part of the province of Kosovo deporting 160,000 ethnic Albanians from
640 localities. Following the First Balkan War of 1912, Kosovo was internationally recognised as a part of Serbia and northern
Metohija as a part of Montenegro at the Treaty of London in May 1913. In 1918, Serbia became a part of the newly-formed
Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. The partition of Yugoslavia by the Axis Powers from 1941 and 1945 awarded most of
the territory to the Italian-occupied Greater Albania, and a smaller part of it to German-occupied Serbia and Greater Bulgaria.
Following the end of the war and the establishment of Tito's Communist regime, Kosovo was granted the status of an autonomous
region of Serbia in 1946 and became an autonomous province in 1963. With the passing of the 1974 Yugoslavia constitution,
Kosovo gained virtual self-government. Throughout the 1980s tensions between the Albanian and Serb communities in the province
escalated. The Albanian community favoured greater autonomy for Kosovo, whilst Serbs favored closer ties with the rest of Serbia.
Serbs living in Kosovo were discriminated by the provincial government (the term "ethnic cleansing" was coined to denote these
actions), notably by the local law enforcement authorities failing to punish reported crimes against Serbs. In 1989, the autonomy of
Kosovo and the northern province of Vojvodina was drastically reduced by a Serbia-wide referendum. The referendum
implemented a new constitution which allowed a multi-party system, introduced freedom of speech and promoted human rights.
After the constitutional changes, the parliaments of all Yugoslavian republics and provinces, which until then had MPs only from the
Communist Party of Yugoslavia, were dissolved and multi-party elections were held for them. Kosovo Albanians refused to
participate in the elections and held their own, unsanctioned elections instead. Albanian opposition to sovereignty of Yugoslavia and
especially Serbia had surfaced in rioting (1968 and March 1981) in the capital Priština. Ibrahim Rugova initially advocated non-
violent resistance, but later opposition took the form of separatist agitation by opposition political groups and armed action from
1996 by the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA). In March 1998, Yugoslav army units joined Serbian police to fight the separatists,
using military force. In the months that followed, thousands of Albanian civilians were killed and more than 500,000 fled their
homes; most of these people were Albanian. Following the breakdown of negotiations between Serbian and Albanian
representatives, under North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) auspices, NATO intervened on March 24, 1999 without United
Nations authority. The war ended on June 10, 1999 with the Serbian and Yugoslav governments signing the Kumanovo agreement
which agreed to transfer governance of the province to the United Nations. Since the end of the war, Kosovo has been a major
source and destination country in the trafficking of women, women forced into prostitution and sexual slavery. The growth in the sex
trade industry has been fuelled by NATO forces in Kosovo. On Feb 17th 2008 2008 Kosovo's Parliament declared independence,
to mixed international reactions.
Source: Wikipedia: History of Kosovo
The Bronze Age begins in ca. the 20th century BC, and the Iron Age begins in ca. the 13th century BC. Bronze and Iron Age
tombs have been found only in Metohija, and not in Kosovo. The area comes to lie within the eastern parts of the kingdom of Illyria
in the 4th century BC, bordering on Thrace. At the time, it is inhabited by the Thraco-Illyrian tribes of the Dardani and the Thracian
tribe of the Triballi. Illyria was conquered by Rome in the 160s BC, and made the Roman province of Illyricum in 59 BC. The
Kosovo region became part of Moesia Superior in AD 87 (or alternatively was divided between Dalmatia and Moesia, a view
which is supported by some archaeological evidence). Upper Moesia was reorganized further by Diocletian (after 284) into smaller
provinces, being further divided into Dardania, Moesia Prima, Dacia Ripensis and Dacia Mediterranea. The Dardania´s capital was
Naissus. Roman province of Dardania included eastern parts of modern Kosovo, while its western part belong to newly formed
Roman province Prevalitana with capital in Doclea. Justinian I, who assumed the throne of the Byzantine Empire in 527, oversaw a
period of Byzantine expansion into former Roman territories, and re-absorbed the area of Kosovo into the empire. He is often
referred to by historians as the last "Roman" emperor because Latin was his native tongue and because he was the last emperor to
make a serious attempt to reunite the Latin-speaking West with the East. The Slavic migrations reached the Balkans in the 6th to 7th
century. The area was absorbed into the Byzantine empire in the 850s. The region was incorporated into the Bulgarian Empire
during the reign of Khan Presian (836-852). Numerous churches and monasteries were constructed after the Christianization of
Bulgaria in 864. It remained within the borders of Bulgaria for 150 years until 1018 when the country was overrun by the Byzantines
after half-century bitter struggle. Byzantine control was subsequently reasserted by the forceful emperor Basil II. Serbia at this time
was not a united empire: a number of small Serbian kingdoms lay to the north and west of Kosovo, of which Raška (central modern
Serbia) and Duklja (Montenegro) were the strongest. In the 1180s, the Serbian ruler Stefan Nemanja seized control of Duklja and
parts of Kosovo. His successor, Stefan Prvovenčani took control of the rest of Kosovo by 1216, creating a state incorporating
most of the area which is now Serbia and Montenegro. Kosovo was absorbed into Serbia in the late 12th century, and was part of
the Serbian Empire from 1346 to 1371. In 1389, in the famous Battle of Kosovo the army of the Serbian Prince Lazar Hrebljanovic
was defeated by the Ottoman Turks, who finally took control of the territory in 1455. In 1355, the Serbian state fell apart on the
death of Tsar Stefan Dušan and dissolved into squabbling fiefdoms. The timing fell perfectly within the Ottoman expansion. The
Ottoman Empire took the opportunity to exploit Serbian weakness and invaded. The First Battle of Kosovo occurred on the field of
Kosovo Polje on June 28, 1389, when the ruling knez (prince) of Serbia, Lazar Hrebeljanović, marshalled a coalition of Christian
soldiers, made up of Serbs, but also of Bosnian Serbs, Magyars and a troop of Saxon mercenaries. Although the battle has been
mythologised as a great Serbian defeat, at the time opinion was divided as to whether it was a Serbian defeat, a stalemate or
possibly even a Serbian victory. Serbia maintained its independence and sporadic control of Kosovo until a final defeat in 1455,
following which Serbia became part of the Ottoman Empire. The Second Battle of Kosovo was fought over the course of a two-
day period in October 1448, between a Hungarian force lead by John Hunyadi and an Ottoman army lead by Murad II. The
Ottomans brought Islam with them and later also created the Vilayet of Kosovo as one of the Ottoman territorial entities. Ottoman
rule lasted for about 500 years, in which time the Ottomans were the absolute paramount power in the region. Many Slavs accepted
Islam and served under Ottomans. Kosovo was taken temporarily by the Austrian forces during the War of 1683–1699 with help
of Serbs but were defeated and retreated shortly thereafter. In 1690, the Serbian Patriarch of Peć Arsenije III, who previously
escaped a certain death, led 37,000 families from Kosovo, to evade Ottoman wrath since Kosovo had just been retaken by the
Ottomans. The people that followed him were mostly Serbs. Due to the oppression from the Ottomans, other migrations of
Orthodox people from the Kosovo area continued throughout the 18th century. It is also noted that many Albanians adopted Islam,
whilst only a very small minority of Serbs did so. In 1766, the Ottomans abolished the Patriarchate of Peć and the position of
Christians in Kosovo was greatly reduced. All previous privileges were lost, and the Christian population had to suffer the full weight
of the Empire's extensive and losing wars, even having blame forced upon them for the losses. During the 1877–1878 Russo-
Turkish war, the Serbian troops invaded the northeastern part of the province of Kosovo deporting 160,000 ethnic Albanians from
640 localities. Following the First Balkan War of 1912, Kosovo was internationally recognised as a part of Serbia and northern
Metohija as a part of Montenegro at the Treaty of London in May 1913. In 1918, Serbia became a part of the newly-formed
Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. The partition of Yugoslavia by the Axis Powers from 1941 and 1945 awarded most of
the territory to the Italian-occupied Greater Albania, and a smaller part of it to German-occupied Serbia and Greater Bulgaria.
Following the end of the war and the establishment of Tito's Communist regime, Kosovo was granted the status of an autonomous
region of Serbia in 1946 and became an autonomous province in 1963. With the passing of the 1974 Yugoslavia constitution,
Kosovo gained virtual self-government. Throughout the 1980s tensions between the Albanian and Serb communities in the province
escalated. The Albanian community favoured greater autonomy for Kosovo, whilst Serbs favored closer ties with the rest of Serbia.
Serbs living in Kosovo were discriminated by the provincial government (the term "ethnic cleansing" was coined to denote these
actions), notably by the local law enforcement authorities failing to punish reported crimes against Serbs. In 1989, the autonomy of
Kosovo and the northern province of Vojvodina was drastically reduced by a Serbia-wide referendum. The referendum
implemented a new constitution which allowed a multi-party system, introduced freedom of speech and promoted human rights.
After the constitutional changes, the parliaments of all Yugoslavian republics and provinces, which until then had MPs only from the
Communist Party of Yugoslavia, were dissolved and multi-party elections were held for them. Kosovo Albanians refused to
participate in the elections and held their own, unsanctioned elections instead. Albanian opposition to sovereignty of Yugoslavia and
especially Serbia had surfaced in rioting (1968 and March 1981) in the capital Priština. Ibrahim Rugova initially advocated non-
violent resistance, but later opposition took the form of separatist agitation by opposition political groups and armed action from
1996 by the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA). In March 1998, Yugoslav army units joined Serbian police to fight the separatists,
using military force. In the months that followed, thousands of Albanian civilians were killed and more than 500,000 fled their
homes; most of these people were Albanian. Following the breakdown of negotiations between Serbian and Albanian
representatives, under North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) auspices, NATO intervened on March 24, 1999 without United
Nations authority. The war ended on June 10, 1999 with the Serbian and Yugoslav governments signing the Kumanovo agreement
which agreed to transfer governance of the province to the United Nations. Since the end of the war, Kosovo has been a major
source and destination country in the trafficking of women, women forced into prostitution and sexual slavery. The growth in the sex
trade industry has been fuelled by NATO forces in Kosovo. On Feb 17th 2008 2008 Kosovo's Parliament declared independence,
to mixed international reactions.
Source: Wikipedia: History of Kosovo
| ECONOMIC OVERVIEW |
Over the past few years Kosovo's economy has shown significant progress in transitioning to a market-based system and
maintaining macroeconomic stability, but it is still highly dependent on the international community and the diaspora for financial and
technical assistance. Remittances from the diaspora - located mainly in Germany and Switzerland - are estimated to account for
about 14% of GDP, and donor-financed activities and aid for another 7.5%. Kosovo's citizens are the poorest in Europe with an
average annual per capita income of only $2,500. Unemployment, around 40% of the population, is a significant problem that
encourages outward migration and black market activity. Most of Kosovo's population lives in rural towns outside of the capital,
Pristina. Inefficient, near-subsistence farming is common - the result of small plots, limited mechanization, and lack of technical
expertise. With international assistance, Kosovo has been able to privatize 50% of its state-owned enterprises (SOEs) by number,
and over 90% of SOEs by value. Minerals and metals - including lignite, lead, zinc, nickel, chrome, aluminum, magnesium, and a
wide variety of construction materials - once formed the backbone of industry, but output has declined because of ageing equipment
and insufficient investment. A limited and unreliable electricity supply due to technical and financial problems is a major impediment
to economic development. Kosovo's Ministry of Energy and Mining has solicited expressions of interest from private investors to
develop a new power plant in order to address Kosovo and the region's unmet and growing demands for power. The official
currency of Kosovo is the euro, but the Serbian dinar is also used in Serb enclaves. Kosovo's tie to the euro has helped keep core
inflation low. Kosovo has one of the most open economies in the region, and continues to work with the international community on
measures to improve the business environment and attract foreign investment. Kosovo has kept the government budget in balance
as a result of efficient value added tax (VAT) collection at the borders and inefficient budget execution. In order to help integrate
Kosovo into regional economic structures, UNMIK signed (on behalf of Kosovo) its accession to the Central Europe Free Trade
Area (CEFTA) in 2006. However, Serbia and Bosnia have refused to recognize Kosovo's customs stamp or extend reduced tariff
privileges for Kosovo products under CEFTA. In July 2008, Kosovo received pledges of $1.9 billion from 37 countries in support
of its reform priorities. In June 2009, Kosovo joined the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, and Kosovo began
servicing its share of the former Yugoslavia's debt.
Source: CIA World Factbook (select Kosovo)
maintaining macroeconomic stability, but it is still highly dependent on the international community and the diaspora for financial and
technical assistance. Remittances from the diaspora - located mainly in Germany and Switzerland - are estimated to account for
about 14% of GDP, and donor-financed activities and aid for another 7.5%. Kosovo's citizens are the poorest in Europe with an
average annual per capita income of only $2,500. Unemployment, around 40% of the population, is a significant problem that
encourages outward migration and black market activity. Most of Kosovo's population lives in rural towns outside of the capital,
Pristina. Inefficient, near-subsistence farming is common - the result of small plots, limited mechanization, and lack of technical
expertise. With international assistance, Kosovo has been able to privatize 50% of its state-owned enterprises (SOEs) by number,
and over 90% of SOEs by value. Minerals and metals - including lignite, lead, zinc, nickel, chrome, aluminum, magnesium, and a
wide variety of construction materials - once formed the backbone of industry, but output has declined because of ageing equipment
and insufficient investment. A limited and unreliable electricity supply due to technical and financial problems is a major impediment
to economic development. Kosovo's Ministry of Energy and Mining has solicited expressions of interest from private investors to
develop a new power plant in order to address Kosovo and the region's unmet and growing demands for power. The official
currency of Kosovo is the euro, but the Serbian dinar is also used in Serb enclaves. Kosovo's tie to the euro has helped keep core
inflation low. Kosovo has one of the most open economies in the region, and continues to work with the international community on
measures to improve the business environment and attract foreign investment. Kosovo has kept the government budget in balance
as a result of efficient value added tax (VAT) collection at the borders and inefficient budget execution. In order to help integrate
Kosovo into regional economic structures, UNMIK signed (on behalf of Kosovo) its accession to the Central Europe Free Trade
Area (CEFTA) in 2006. However, Serbia and Bosnia have refused to recognize Kosovo's customs stamp or extend reduced tariff
privileges for Kosovo products under CEFTA. In July 2008, Kosovo received pledges of $1.9 billion from 37 countries in support
of its reform priorities. In June 2009, Kosovo joined the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, and Kosovo began
servicing its share of the former Yugoslavia's debt.
Source: CIA World Factbook (select Kosovo)
| POLITICAL CLIMATE |
On February 10, 2007, nearly 3,000 people protested against the plan by United Nations chief negotiator Martti Ahtisaari which
would in effect grant independence to the Kosovo province. Some militant ethnic Albanian groups, like Vetevendosje
(Self-determination) that led the Saturday ethnic Albanian protests in Pristina, oppose UN sponsored talks and want the Kosovo
parliament to declare independence immediately. On Tuesday February 13, 2007, Kosovo interior minister Fatmir Rexhepi
resigned after two people died of injuries suffered in clashes with police during the protest.[1]
Elections were held in Kosovo on 17 November 2007. After early results on the morning of the 18th indicating opposition leader
Hashim Thaçi was on course to gain 35 per cent of the vote, he claimed victory for PDK, the Albanian Democratic Party, and
stated his intention to declare independence. President Fatmir Sejdiu's Democratic League was in second place with 22 percent of
the vote. The turnout at the election was particularly low with most Serbs refusing to vote.[3]
On December 25th, 2007 it was announced Thaci's Democratic Party of Kosovo would form a coalition with President Fatmir
Sejdiu's Democratic League forming a slight majority of 62 seats out of 120. Thaci's government will include 7 ministers from his
party, 5 ministers from LDK and 3 ministers from non-Albanian communities.[4]
Following years of failed negotiations on the status of Kosovo in Serbia, PISG Prime Minister of Kosovo Hashim Thaçi announced
on 16 February 2008 that the Assembly of Kosovo would declare independence the following day, 17 February 2008 at 17:00h.
The independent Republic of Kosovo has since been recognised by several states. Sejfiu, Kosovo's first president, resigned from
the office of president on 27 September 2010, Assembly Speaker Jakup KRASNIQI became acting president
Source: Wikipedia: Politics of Kosovo
would in effect grant independence to the Kosovo province. Some militant ethnic Albanian groups, like Vetevendosje
(Self-determination) that led the Saturday ethnic Albanian protests in Pristina, oppose UN sponsored talks and want the Kosovo
parliament to declare independence immediately. On Tuesday February 13, 2007, Kosovo interior minister Fatmir Rexhepi
resigned after two people died of injuries suffered in clashes with police during the protest.[1]
Elections were held in Kosovo on 17 November 2007. After early results on the morning of the 18th indicating opposition leader
Hashim Thaçi was on course to gain 35 per cent of the vote, he claimed victory for PDK, the Albanian Democratic Party, and
stated his intention to declare independence. President Fatmir Sejdiu's Democratic League was in second place with 22 percent of
the vote. The turnout at the election was particularly low with most Serbs refusing to vote.[3]
On December 25th, 2007 it was announced Thaci's Democratic Party of Kosovo would form a coalition with President Fatmir
Sejdiu's Democratic League forming a slight majority of 62 seats out of 120. Thaci's government will include 7 ministers from his
party, 5 ministers from LDK and 3 ministers from non-Albanian communities.[4]
Following years of failed negotiations on the status of Kosovo in Serbia, PISG Prime Minister of Kosovo Hashim Thaçi announced
on 16 February 2008 that the Assembly of Kosovo would declare independence the following day, 17 February 2008 at 17:00h.
The independent Republic of Kosovo has since been recognised by several states. Sejfiu, Kosovo's first president, resigned from
the office of president on 27 September 2010, Assembly Speaker Jakup KRASNIQI became acting president
Source: Wikipedia: Politics of Kosovo
| INTERNATIONAL DISPUTES |
Serbia with several other states protest the US and other states' recognition of Kosovo's declaring itself as a sovereign and
independent state in February 2008; ethnic Serbian municipalities along Kosovo's northern border challenge final status of
Kosovo-Serbia boundary; several thousand NATO-led KFOR peacekeepers under UNMIK authority continue to keep the peace
within Kosovo between the ethnic Albanian majority and the Serb minority in Kosovo; Kosovo and Macedonia completed
demarcation of their boundary in September 2008
independent state in February 2008; ethnic Serbian municipalities along Kosovo's northern border challenge final status of
Kosovo-Serbia boundary; several thousand NATO-led KFOR peacekeepers under UNMIK authority continue to keep the peace
within Kosovo between the ethnic Albanian majority and the Serb minority in Kosovo; Kosovo and Macedonia completed
demarcation of their boundary in September 2008
| REFUGEES AND INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS (IDPS) |
IDP's: 21,000
| ILLICIT DRUGS |
None reported.
| HUMAN RIGHTS STATEMENTS, ANALYSIS AND CRITIQUES |
2009 Human Rights Report: Kosovo
Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor
2009 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices
March 11, 2010
Kosovo is a parliamentary democracy with a population of approximately 2.2 million. Multiparty elections in 2007 for the Assembly
generally reflected the will of the voters. Kosovo declared its independence in February 2008 and supplanted the UN Interim
Administrative Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), which had previously administered Kosovo under the authority of UN Security Council
Resolution 1244. At independence, Kosovo accepted the Ahtisaari plan, which provided for internationally sponsored mechanisms,
including an International Civilian Office and the EU Rule of Law Mission (EULEX). The government, EULEX, and the UN-authorized
North Atlantic Treaty Organization peacekeeping force for Kosovo (KFOR) generally maintained effective control over security forces.
During the year reported problems and abuses included the following:
Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor
2009 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices
March 11, 2010
Kosovo is a parliamentary democracy with a population of approximately 2.2 million. Multiparty elections in 2007 for the Assembly
generally reflected the will of the voters. Kosovo declared its independence in February 2008 and supplanted the UN Interim
Administrative Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), which had previously administered Kosovo under the authority of UN Security Council
Resolution 1244. At independence, Kosovo accepted the Ahtisaari plan, which provided for internationally sponsored mechanisms,
including an International Civilian Office and the EU Rule of Law Mission (EULEX). The government, EULEX, and the UN-authorized
North Atlantic Treaty Organization peacekeeping force for Kosovo (KFOR) generally maintained effective control over security forces.
During the year reported problems and abuses included the following:
- deaths and injuries from unexploded ordnance or landmines;
- corruption and government interference in security forces and the judiciary;
- lengthy pretrial detention and lack of judicial due process;
- cases of politically and ethnically motivated violence;
- societal antipathy against Serbs and the Serbian Orthodox Church;
- lack of progress in returning internally displaced persons (IDPs) to their homes;
- government corruption;
- violence and discrimination against women;
- trafficking in persons, particularly girls and women for sexual exploitation;
- societal violence, abuse, and discrimination against minority communities;
- societal discrimination against persons with disabilities;
- abuse and discrimination against persons based on their sexual orientation;
- child labor in the informal sector.
28 December 2009
HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL
Thirteenth session
Agenda item 3
Promotion and protection of all human rights, civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to
development
Report of the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, Asma Jahangir
Mission to the Republic of Serbia, including visit to Kosovo
Summary
The present report contains the findings and recommendations of the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief on her mission
from 30 April to 8 May 2009 to the Republic of Serbia, including a visit to Kosovo.1 Given the painful history of the whole Balkans
region and the deep suffering of individuals and communities caused by violence, atrocities and wars, the Special Rapporteur notices that
the scars of these conflicts remain, even though all communities yearn for sustainable peace and reconciliation. She notes that,
regrettably, racism as well as religious issues contributed to the recent conflicts. The Special Rapporteur underlines that interfaith
consultations at the grass-roots, national and regional levels are vital to promote understanding, tolerance and respect between and
among the various communities. In addition, the rule of law and the functioning of democratic institutions are prerequisites for the
effectiveness of these strategies, which seek to encourage real dialogue in an open and pluralistic environment.
In the second part of the report, the Special Rapporteur focuses on the status of freedom of religion or belief in Kosovo. In terms of
issues of concern for her mandate, the Special Rapporteur highlights incidents of violence and incitement to racial or religious hatred, the
controversy about the issue of wearing religious symbols in educational institutions, and intra-religious and inter-religious tensions. The
Special Rapporteur concludes that the reconstruction of cultural and religious heritage sites damaged or destroyed during the violence of
March 2004 remains of utmost importance. She recommends that the relevant authorities take swift action and devise creative measures
to counter coercion and violence in the name of religion. She also reminded religious leaders of their responsibility to play a constructive
role so that freedom of religion or belief can be enhanced in a democratic, non-discriminatory and depoliticized manner. Lastly, the whole
international community should send a clear message that violence and incitement to racial or religious hatred will not be tolerated.
Click here to read more »
HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL
Thirteenth session
Agenda item 3
Promotion and protection of all human rights, civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to
development
Report of the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, Asma Jahangir
Mission to the Republic of Serbia, including visit to Kosovo
Summary
The present report contains the findings and recommendations of the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief on her mission
from 30 April to 8 May 2009 to the Republic of Serbia, including a visit to Kosovo.1 Given the painful history of the whole Balkans
region and the deep suffering of individuals and communities caused by violence, atrocities and wars, the Special Rapporteur notices that
the scars of these conflicts remain, even though all communities yearn for sustainable peace and reconciliation. She notes that,
regrettably, racism as well as religious issues contributed to the recent conflicts. The Special Rapporteur underlines that interfaith
consultations at the grass-roots, national and regional levels are vital to promote understanding, tolerance and respect between and
among the various communities. In addition, the rule of law and the functioning of democratic institutions are prerequisites for the
effectiveness of these strategies, which seek to encourage real dialogue in an open and pluralistic environment.
In the second part of the report, the Special Rapporteur focuses on the status of freedom of religion or belief in Kosovo. In terms of
issues of concern for her mandate, the Special Rapporteur highlights incidents of violence and incitement to racial or religious hatred, the
controversy about the issue of wearing religious symbols in educational institutions, and intra-religious and inter-religious tensions. The
Special Rapporteur concludes that the reconstruction of cultural and religious heritage sites damaged or destroyed during the violence of
March 2004 remains of utmost importance. She recommends that the relevant authorities take swift action and devise creative measures
to counter coercion and violence in the name of religion. She also reminded religious leaders of their responsibility to play a constructive
role so that freedom of religion or belief can be enhanced in a democratic, non-discriminatory and depoliticized manner. Lastly, the whole
international community should send a clear message that violence and incitement to racial or religious hatred will not be tolerated.
Click here to read more »
Kosovo and Serbia Should Continue Democratic Course Following Court Decision
Washington
July 22, 2010
In the aftermath of today’s ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Kosovo’s secession from Serbia, Freedom House
encourages both parties to continue their democratic development and to vigorously pursue a goal of peaceful, democratic systems.
In a 10-4 majority ruling, delivered at the ICJ headquarters at The Hague, the court maintained that Kosovo’s 2008 secession from
Serbia did not violate international law. Judge Hisashi Owada, president of the ICJ, said in a statement after the ruling that "the court
considers that general international law contains no applicable prohibition of declaration of independence."
“Kosovo’s status has been a contentious issue but it is noteworthy that Serbia and Kosovo alike have improved over the past several
years on Freedom House democracy measures. This suggests that both societies have made a commitment to democratic reform,” said
Christopher Walker, director of studies at Freedom House. “In both cases, however, the recent progress achieved is not irreversible and
will require ongoing political commitment to institutionalize human rights norms.”
According to Freedom in the World, Freedom House’s annual global analysis of political rights and civil liberties, both Serbia and Kosovo
have improved their performance in a number of spheres of democratic development over the past several years. In Freedom in the
World 2010, which covers developments in calendar year 2009, significant improvements in Kosovo resulted in a status change from
Not Free to Partly Free. Serbia’s political rights rating improved from 3 to 2 due to the consolidation of a stable multiparty system after
several rounds of elections in the post-Milosevic period.
Kosovo is ranked Partly Free in Freedom in the World 2010, Freedom House's survey of political rights and civil liberties, and Partly
Free in Freedom of the Press 2010. Serbia is ranked Free in Freedom in the World 2010 and Partly Free Freedom of the Press 2010.
Click here to read more »
Washington
July 22, 2010
In the aftermath of today’s ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Kosovo’s secession from Serbia, Freedom House
encourages both parties to continue their democratic development and to vigorously pursue a goal of peaceful, democratic systems.
In a 10-4 majority ruling, delivered at the ICJ headquarters at The Hague, the court maintained that Kosovo’s 2008 secession from
Serbia did not violate international law. Judge Hisashi Owada, president of the ICJ, said in a statement after the ruling that "the court
considers that general international law contains no applicable prohibition of declaration of independence."
“Kosovo’s status has been a contentious issue but it is noteworthy that Serbia and Kosovo alike have improved over the past several
years on Freedom House democracy measures. This suggests that both societies have made a commitment to democratic reform,” said
Christopher Walker, director of studies at Freedom House. “In both cases, however, the recent progress achieved is not irreversible and
will require ongoing political commitment to institutionalize human rights norms.”
According to Freedom in the World, Freedom House’s annual global analysis of political rights and civil liberties, both Serbia and Kosovo
have improved their performance in a number of spheres of democratic development over the past several years. In Freedom in the
World 2010, which covers developments in calendar year 2009, significant improvements in Kosovo resulted in a status change from
Not Free to Partly Free. Serbia’s political rights rating improved from 3 to 2 due to the consolidation of a stable multiparty system after
several rounds of elections in the post-Milosevic period.
Kosovo is ranked Partly Free in Freedom in the World 2010, Freedom House's survey of political rights and civil liberties, and Partly
Free in Freedom of the Press 2010. Serbia is ranked Free in Freedom in the World 2010 and Partly Free Freedom of the Press 2010.
Click here to read more »
EU indictment details Kosovo organ-trafficking ring
Alleges false promises made about payment
By Nebi Qena Associated Press
November 13, 2010
PRISTINA, Kosovo — At least seven people, including a former senior health ministry official, are suspected of involvement in an
international network that falsely promised poor people payment for their kidneys and then sold the organs for as much as $137,000,
according to a European Union indictment obtained by the Associated Press.
The indictment is the starkest revelation of the extent of organized crime in the country since Kosovo declared independence in 2008.
The organized criminal group trafficked people into Kosovo for the purpose of removing human organs for transplant, EU prosecutor
Jonathan Ratel said in the indictment. Some 20 foreign nationals “were recruited with false promises of payments’’ in 2008, he wrote.
Victims were promised up to $20,000, while recipients were required to pay from $110,000 to $137,000.
According to the indictment obtained Thursday, the victims came from Moldova, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Turkey and lived in “extreme
poverty or acute financial distress.’’
The EU prosecution has made requests to secure evidence from authorities in Canada, Germany, Kazakhstan, and Turkey, including
access to e-mails of two suspects on servers in the United States.
Five Kosovo nationals, including Ilir Rrecaj, a former senior health ministry official, have been charged with five counts ranging from
trafficking in persons to unlawful exercise of medical activity and abuse of power. None of the suspects is in custody.
Two others — Turkish doctor Yusuf Sonmez and Israeli citizen Moshe Harel — are listed as wanted by Interpol. Sonmez is the subject
of several criminal proceedings in other countries, including Turkey, for human trafficking and removal of organs, according to the
indictment.
“Both Sonmez and Harel are fugitives from justice,’’ the indictment said.
The prosecution alleges that one of the five, Kosovo surgeon Lutfi Dervishi, was the ringleader of the criminal group. It said Dervishi
attended a medical conference in Istanbul in 2006 and asked for someone who could perform organ transplants. He was contacted by
Sonmez six months later.
Click here to read more »
Alleges false promises made about payment
By Nebi Qena Associated Press
November 13, 2010
PRISTINA, Kosovo — At least seven people, including a former senior health ministry official, are suspected of involvement in an
international network that falsely promised poor people payment for their kidneys and then sold the organs for as much as $137,000,
according to a European Union indictment obtained by the Associated Press.
The indictment is the starkest revelation of the extent of organized crime in the country since Kosovo declared independence in 2008.
The organized criminal group trafficked people into Kosovo for the purpose of removing human organs for transplant, EU prosecutor
Jonathan Ratel said in the indictment. Some 20 foreign nationals “were recruited with false promises of payments’’ in 2008, he wrote.
Victims were promised up to $20,000, while recipients were required to pay from $110,000 to $137,000.
According to the indictment obtained Thursday, the victims came from Moldova, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Turkey and lived in “extreme
poverty or acute financial distress.’’
The EU prosecution has made requests to secure evidence from authorities in Canada, Germany, Kazakhstan, and Turkey, including
access to e-mails of two suspects on servers in the United States.
Five Kosovo nationals, including Ilir Rrecaj, a former senior health ministry official, have been charged with five counts ranging from
trafficking in persons to unlawful exercise of medical activity and abuse of power. None of the suspects is in custody.
Two others — Turkish doctor Yusuf Sonmez and Israeli citizen Moshe Harel — are listed as wanted by Interpol. Sonmez is the subject
of several criminal proceedings in other countries, including Turkey, for human trafficking and removal of organs, according to the
indictment.
“Both Sonmez and Harel are fugitives from justice,’’ the indictment said.
The prosecution alleges that one of the five, Kosovo surgeon Lutfi Dervishi, was the ringleader of the criminal group. It said Dervishi
attended a medical conference in Istanbul in 2006 and asked for someone who could perform organ transplants. He was contacted by
Sonmez six months later.
Click here to read more »
Rights Displaced
October 27, 2010
Forced Returns of Roma, Ashkali and Egyptians from Western Europe to Kosovo
Summary
Kosovo’s Romani community—generally known as Roma, Ashkali and Egyptians (RAE)—are historically its poorest, and its most
economically, politically and socially marginalized. The Roma have often been targeted for violent attack, spurned by some Kosovo
Albanians—the country’s largest ethnic group—as “collaborators” with the minority Serb population. Meanwhile Albanian-speaking
Ashkali and Egyptians have also frequently fallen victim to ethnically-motivated attacks. In recent years, many RAE have been displaced
outside Kosovo, their numbers shrinking from over 200,000 before the war in 1999 to some 38,000 today.
Few of the displaced return. Discouraged by extreme poverty, social deprivation, persistent discrimination, political instability, and lack
of adequate assistance to ensure the sustainability of their return, only 8,160 RAE have gone back to Kosovo of their volition since 1999.
Moreover, the pace of voluntary returns has been slow over the years, with fewer than 500 people returning in 2009, and a little over
200 returning thus far in 2010.
But these voluntary returnees are not the only RAE heading back to Kosovo. Fueled by frustration at the slow pace of voluntary returns,
and domestic political concerns about asylum and immigration, a number of Western countries—including Germany, Switzerland, and
Sweden—have deported RAE back to Kosovo. Since 1999, around 51,000 RAE have been involuntarily returned to Kosovo, and
numbers look set to rise. While precise numbers are not available, in Germany alone, 12,000 Kosovo RAE—including “toleration permit”
holders, failed asylum seekers and other irregular migrants—are estimated to be at risk of deportation.
Kosovo has signed agreements with a growing number of European countries to facilitate such deportations—even though the Office of
the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) guidelines call on countries not to deport Serbian-speaking Roma and
certain other ethnicities (both Serb and Albanian) to places where they would be a minority. UNHCR also stipulates that Ashkali and
Egyptians only be returned after screening to assess risk on return, and in a phased manner that takes into account Kosovo’s limited
absorption capacity.
Human Rights Watch believes the current approach of the Kosovo government and Western European governments regarding forced
returns of RAE is short-sighted, and puts the rights of RAE and the stability of Kosovo at risk.
Click here to read more »
October 27, 2010
Forced Returns of Roma, Ashkali and Egyptians from Western Europe to Kosovo
Summary
Kosovo’s Romani community—generally known as Roma, Ashkali and Egyptians (RAE)—are historically its poorest, and its most
economically, politically and socially marginalized. The Roma have often been targeted for violent attack, spurned by some Kosovo
Albanians—the country’s largest ethnic group—as “collaborators” with the minority Serb population. Meanwhile Albanian-speaking
Ashkali and Egyptians have also frequently fallen victim to ethnically-motivated attacks. In recent years, many RAE have been displaced
outside Kosovo, their numbers shrinking from over 200,000 before the war in 1999 to some 38,000 today.
Few of the displaced return. Discouraged by extreme poverty, social deprivation, persistent discrimination, political instability, and lack
of adequate assistance to ensure the sustainability of their return, only 8,160 RAE have gone back to Kosovo of their volition since 1999.
Moreover, the pace of voluntary returns has been slow over the years, with fewer than 500 people returning in 2009, and a little over
200 returning thus far in 2010.
But these voluntary returnees are not the only RAE heading back to Kosovo. Fueled by frustration at the slow pace of voluntary returns,
and domestic political concerns about asylum and immigration, a number of Western countries—including Germany, Switzerland, and
Sweden—have deported RAE back to Kosovo. Since 1999, around 51,000 RAE have been involuntarily returned to Kosovo, and
numbers look set to rise. While precise numbers are not available, in Germany alone, 12,000 Kosovo RAE—including “toleration permit”
holders, failed asylum seekers and other irregular migrants—are estimated to be at risk of deportation.
Kosovo has signed agreements with a growing number of European countries to facilitate such deportations—even though the Office of
the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) guidelines call on countries not to deport Serbian-speaking Roma and
certain other ethnicities (both Serb and Albanian) to places where they would be a minority. UNHCR also stipulates that Ashkali and
Egyptians only be returned after screening to assess risk on return, and in a phased manner that takes into account Kosovo’s limited
absorption capacity.
Human Rights Watch believes the current approach of the Kosovo government and Western European governments regarding forced
returns of RAE is short-sighted, and puts the rights of RAE and the stability of Kosovo at risk.
Click here to read more »
Prime Minister Thaçi: Institution building is progressing successfully, at a good pace, with full confidence in the construction
of an all inclusive and multi-ethnic Government
Prishtina, 3 February 2011
With the intention of clarifying various misunderstandings appearing these days in the media, I want to stress that constructing
institutions is progressing successfully, at a good pace, with full confidence in the construction of an all inclusive and multi-ethnic
Government. In these institutions, there will also be people from civil society.
PDK is not aiming at the country’s three leading instructions.
Meetings are taking place, while from Monday I expect that formal meetings regarding state-building will occur across the Kosovar
political spectrum, but also with potential coalition partners in a future Government of the Republic of Kosovo or its institutions.
The Kosovo Democratic Party has now secured enough votes to form the Government of Kosovo.
Click here to read more »
of an all inclusive and multi-ethnic Government
Prishtina, 3 February 2011
With the intention of clarifying various misunderstandings appearing these days in the media, I want to stress that constructing
institutions is progressing successfully, at a good pace, with full confidence in the construction of an all inclusive and multi-ethnic
Government. In these institutions, there will also be people from civil society.
PDK is not aiming at the country’s three leading instructions.
Meetings are taking place, while from Monday I expect that formal meetings regarding state-building will occur across the Kosovar
political spectrum, but also with potential coalition partners in a future Government of the Republic of Kosovo or its institutions.
The Kosovo Democratic Party has now secured enough votes to form the Government of Kosovo.
Click here to read more »
2010-10-11
In the 10th International Conference of NHRIs in Edinburgh discussed the “Business and Human Rights”
Ombudsperson of Kosovo Mr. Sami Kurteshi participated in the 10th International Conference for National Human Rights Institutions
(NHRIs) which was held from 8 – 10 October in Edinburgh, Scotland.
The overall theme in this conference was; “Business and Human Rights: the Role of National Human Rights Institutions”.
The conference was hosted by the Scottish Human Rights Commission (SHRC), and co-organized with the Office of the United Nations
High Commission for Human Rights (OHCHR), and the International Coordinating Committee of National High Committee of National
Institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights (ICC).
Participants from over 80 countries representing NHRIs, international and regional experts, United Nations officials, government
representatives, civil society and business organizations attended the conference. NHRIs shared experiences regarding priorities and
strategies to enhance the application of human rights norms in the context of the corporate sector and discussed strategies to strengthen
the cooperation between NHRIs.
Topics discussed amongst the participants include state protection of individuals and communities against corporate abuse, working
effectively with the business sector to prevent abuses, facilitating access to justice for victims, safe and healthy environment and human
trafficking.
This Conference was concluded with the adoption of the “Edinburgh Declaration” which reflects the main conclusions of the
conference, and highlights the key issues and priorities for the ICC and its members on human rights and business.
Click here to read more »
In the 10th International Conference of NHRIs in Edinburgh discussed the “Business and Human Rights”
Ombudsperson of Kosovo Mr. Sami Kurteshi participated in the 10th International Conference for National Human Rights Institutions
(NHRIs) which was held from 8 – 10 October in Edinburgh, Scotland.
The overall theme in this conference was; “Business and Human Rights: the Role of National Human Rights Institutions”.
The conference was hosted by the Scottish Human Rights Commission (SHRC), and co-organized with the Office of the United Nations
High Commission for Human Rights (OHCHR), and the International Coordinating Committee of National High Committee of National
Institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights (ICC).
Participants from over 80 countries representing NHRIs, international and regional experts, United Nations officials, government
representatives, civil society and business organizations attended the conference. NHRIs shared experiences regarding priorities and
strategies to enhance the application of human rights norms in the context of the corporate sector and discussed strategies to strengthen
the cooperation between NHRIs.
Topics discussed amongst the participants include state protection of individuals and communities against corporate abuse, working
effectively with the business sector to prevent abuses, facilitating access to justice for victims, safe and healthy environment and human
trafficking.
This Conference was concluded with the adoption of the “Edinburgh Declaration” which reflects the main conclusions of the
conference, and highlights the key issues and priorities for the ICC and its members on human rights and business.
Click here to read more »
Kosovo: Crimes were committed under the noses of the international community.
Serb activists say Marty report shows international inaction
Global Research, January 25, 2011
(BELGRADE) - Serbian activists insist the real revelation in a Council of Europe report on Kosovo aren't the allegations of organ trading
but the fact that crimes were committed under the noses of the international community.
"Dick Marty (who wrote the report) is the first representative of an international organisation that said that serious human right violations
were happening in the presence of international forces and institutions," Serbia's leading human rights activist Natasa Kandic of the
Humanitarian Law Centre told AFP.
"All abductions of Serbs and Romas took place in the presence of KFOR, United Nations institutions and Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) institutions and no one reacted," she stressed.
Marty's report, which is due to be discussed by the Council of Europe Tuesday, presents allegations of abductions, disappearances,
executions, organ trafficking, and other serious crimes coordinated by former leaders of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) who are
now leading Kosovo politicians like Prime Minister Hashim Thaci.
Marty specifically writes that a group linked to Thaci killed Serb prisoners held in special detention camps in Albania to extract organs
and sell them on the international black market.
The report also establishes that the KLA has at least six illegal detention camps where Serbs, Roma and Albanians suspected of
collaboration with Serbian troops.
"The international actors chose to turn a blind eye to the war crimes of the KLA, placing a premium instead on achieving some degree of
short-term stability," the Swiss senator writes.
According to human rights groups here, some 500 Serbs and Roma and 1,400 ethnic Albanians are still reported as missing following the
1998-99 Kosovo conflict.
"We were stunned because we could not believe that at the end of the 20th century and the start of the 21st century we could not
establish the fate of innocent people who were not killed during the fighting in Kosovo but after the arrival of the international forces,"
Verica Tomanovic, the chairwoman of the Serbian association of families of people missing in Kosovo, told AFP.
Her husband Andrija, a doctor, was pushed into a car and driven off by unknown men in front of KFOR soldiers in June 1999 at the
clinic he was working in, and never seen again.
"We only ask the truth and we call on the Council of Europe to support Marty's initiative to establish the truth about the fate of our loved
ones who stayed in Kosovo relying on international protocols and resolutions that were not respected," she said.
"We are looking for our children, brothers and husbands. This is the time for Europe to react," she pleaded.
Kandic stressed that "from a human rights point of view, the main issue is the abduction, the illegal transfer of people from Kosovo in
the presence of the international community.
"This report must have consequences: a serious judicial investigation is the next step," she added, calling on the UN to appoint a special
independent prosecutor to open a probe.
Kandic also slammed the Serbian government's reaction to the report, accusing Belgrade of abusing it for its own political reasons.
"It is not a Serbian victory but an opportunity to warn all sides that Serbia and Kosovo should face up to the past," she said.
"We have mass graves in Serbia and if Belgrade wants to fight for Serbian victims now is the time to give information of mass graves of
Albanians here," Kandic said.
Click here to read more>>
Serb activists say Marty report shows international inaction
Global Research, January 25, 2011
(BELGRADE) - Serbian activists insist the real revelation in a Council of Europe report on Kosovo aren't the allegations of organ trading
but the fact that crimes were committed under the noses of the international community.
"Dick Marty (who wrote the report) is the first representative of an international organisation that said that serious human right violations
were happening in the presence of international forces and institutions," Serbia's leading human rights activist Natasa Kandic of the
Humanitarian Law Centre told AFP.
"All abductions of Serbs and Romas took place in the presence of KFOR, United Nations institutions and Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) institutions and no one reacted," she stressed.
Marty's report, which is due to be discussed by the Council of Europe Tuesday, presents allegations of abductions, disappearances,
executions, organ trafficking, and other serious crimes coordinated by former leaders of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) who are
now leading Kosovo politicians like Prime Minister Hashim Thaci.
Marty specifically writes that a group linked to Thaci killed Serb prisoners held in special detention camps in Albania to extract organs
and sell them on the international black market.
The report also establishes that the KLA has at least six illegal detention camps where Serbs, Roma and Albanians suspected of
collaboration with Serbian troops.
"The international actors chose to turn a blind eye to the war crimes of the KLA, placing a premium instead on achieving some degree of
short-term stability," the Swiss senator writes.
According to human rights groups here, some 500 Serbs and Roma and 1,400 ethnic Albanians are still reported as missing following the
1998-99 Kosovo conflict.
"We were stunned because we could not believe that at the end of the 20th century and the start of the 21st century we could not
establish the fate of innocent people who were not killed during the fighting in Kosovo but after the arrival of the international forces,"
Verica Tomanovic, the chairwoman of the Serbian association of families of people missing in Kosovo, told AFP.
Her husband Andrija, a doctor, was pushed into a car and driven off by unknown men in front of KFOR soldiers in June 1999 at the
clinic he was working in, and never seen again.
"We only ask the truth and we call on the Council of Europe to support Marty's initiative to establish the truth about the fate of our loved
ones who stayed in Kosovo relying on international protocols and resolutions that were not respected," she said.
"We are looking for our children, brothers and husbands. This is the time for Europe to react," she pleaded.
Kandic stressed that "from a human rights point of view, the main issue is the abduction, the illegal transfer of people from Kosovo in
the presence of the international community.
"This report must have consequences: a serious judicial investigation is the next step," she added, calling on the UN to appoint a special
independent prosecutor to open a probe.
Kandic also slammed the Serbian government's reaction to the report, accusing Belgrade of abusing it for its own political reasons.
"It is not a Serbian victory but an opportunity to warn all sides that Serbia and Kosovo should face up to the past," she said.
"We have mass graves in Serbia and if Belgrade wants to fight for Serbian victims now is the time to give information of mass graves of
Albanians here," Kandic said.
Click here to read more>>
| Click map for larger view |
| Click flag for Country Report |
Jakup Krasniqi
President since 27 September 2010
President since 27 September 2010
| TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS |
None reported.
