With 90 votes in favor, one against and no abstentions, a resolution prepared by a group of experts and supported by the Democratic Party of Kosovo was voted, which demands a fair trial for the accused from the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague.
This was the first decision of the tenth legislature of the Assembly of Kosovo, after the establishment of the legislative body the day before.
Before the vote, the Democratic League of Kosovo requested that a point be added to the resolution that would require the investigation of murders before and after the war. However, this was opposed by the PDK, and Përparim Gruda from this party said that they had only supported the text of the resolution and had not drafted it.
One of the points of the resolution, which has no binding force, requires the Specialist Chambers and the Specialist Prosecutor’s Office to “in the exercise of their functions, ensure the strict implementation of constitutional and international standards regarding a fair and impartial trial, while also respecting the principles of transparency, accountability and the cultivation of public trust in justice”.
Gruda said that the resolution comes after concerns about violations of the rights of the accused in The Hague. Through the resolution, the Specialist Chambers and the Specialist Prosecutor’s Office are called upon to implement constitutional and international standards regarding the fundamental rights and freedoms of the accused, “including the obligations arising from the jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights”.
This document states that the countries supporting and financing the Special Court assume responsibility for violations that occur at the Court in The Hague. It also confirms Kosovo's commitment to financially support the accused in support of their defense.
Earlier in the day, the Albanian Parliament also approved a declaration of innocence for the former KLA commanders on trial in The Hague.
The adoption of the resolution in Kosovo and the declaration in Albania comes at a time when the trial of the four former KLA commanders in The Hague is in its final stages and closing arguments are currently being held./Rel
