Group of NGOs filed complaint with Kosovo Ombudsperson over unlawful conduct by Kosovo Police

A group of five civil society organizations has filed an official complaint with the Kosovo Ombudsperson over what they describe as a systematic pattern of unlawful and irregular conduct by the Kosovo Police.

The complaint documents in detail a series of cases in which the Kosovo Police allegedly assumed administrative, executive and judicial powers that do not legally fall within its authority, according to a joint statement by the New Social Initiative (NSI), Aktiv, the Center for Affirmative Social Action (CASA), the Institute for Territorial Economic Development (InTER), and the Advocacy Center for Democratic Culture (ACDC).

"We warn of the rapidly deteriorating situation on the ground, where the police are acting beyond their legal mandate, directly endangering human rights and the rule of law," the NGOs said.

The main points of the complaint include usurpation of authority, extra-institutional actions, the annulment of local government decisions, and indications of discrimination.

Regarding the alleged usurpation of authority, the complaint cites cases in which the police carried out demolitions of buildings and property seizures without any court order or the presence of the competent enforcement authorities.

Concerning extra-institutional actions, the NGOs point to the imposition of verbal bans on movement and entry into Kosovo without written decisions or the right to appeal, thereby denying citizens the right to an effective legal remedy.

Regarding the annulment of local government decisions, the complaint refers to interventions in which police officers on the ground arbitrarily declared permits issued by municipal authorities invalid, effectively assuming the role of a court.

As for indications of discrimination, the civil society organizations point out that these practices are frequently carried out in Serb-majority areas and are often linked to the discovery of Serbian national symbols, suggesting selective enforcement based on ethnicity.

"We believe these events are not isolated incidents, but a dangerous trend that undermines legal certainty for all citizens. The Kosovo Police must not simultaneously act as the body that decides on rights, the body that enforces decisions, and the body that delivers judgments," the document submitted to the Ombudsperson states.

The civil society organizations have called on the Ombudsperson to urgently launch an investigation, examine the legality of the police's actions in the cited cases, and issue recommendations to the relevant authorities to put an end to such practices.

Yesterday, the group of NGOs from northern Kosovo also expressed concern over allegations of human rights violations and breaches of fundamental procedural guarantees during and after the Vidovdan commemoration at Gazimestan on June 28, calling for an independent and impartial review of the conduct of the Kosovo Police and judicial authorities.

They pointed out that, while providing security for the religious gathering at Gazimestan, the Kosovo Police systematically searched people arriving for the Vidovdan commemoration, carried out detailed inspections of personal belongings, confiscated items and, according to available information, selectively prevented the entry of Serbian national and religious symbols.