Osmani: I’m withdrawing the request to the Constitutional Court due to the appointment of Radomir Laban as rapporteur

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani announced that she will withdraw the request submitted on July 22 to the Constitutional Court regarding the constitutive session of the Kosovo Assembly, citing the appointment of Serbian judge Radomir Laban as rapporteur in the case as the reason.

“I have withdrawn the request submitted to the Constitutional Court on July 22. I did so as a direct reaction to the confirmed information that Radomir Laban was appointed as the rapporteur judge, even though our security institutions submitted clear and official data in 2018, 2021, and 2024 indicating his involvement in dangerous activities. According to this information, this judge poses a threat to Kosovo’s national security and has participated in actions against the constitutional order,” Osmani stated at a press conference.

She added that her request aimed to defend the constitutional order and addressed key issues such as the democratic functioning of institutions, the principle of separation of powers, and the formation of institutions following the elections held on February 9.

“The rapporteur judge plays a crucial role in assessing the admissibility and merits of a request for interim measures—in other words, they determine the direction the case will take before the court,” she emphasized and continued:
“Our request concerns fundamental issues of constitutional order, and it is deeply troubling that a judge, against whom our security institutions have official information indicating a threat to our state, is entrusted with deciding the fate of our constitutional system. The appointment of Laban is not only concerning—it is dangerous. It undermines public trust in the Court, especially in this particular case.”

She emphasized that Laban was not appointed by her, and according to the Constitution, his dismissal can only occur with a two-thirds vote by the judges. Without such a proposal, his removal is not constitutionally possible.

“Withdrawing this request is a necessary step to protect our constitutional order,” Osmani concluded.

She added that her request to the Constitutional Court was highly important and could have resolved many issues related to this and future mandates. She encouraged political parties to address the Court—but only if Laban is not appointed as rapporteur.

“This was a very important case, and it could have clarified a number of key issues for Kosovo, particularly related to security—not only during this mandate but also in the future. We cannot turn a blind eye to the concerning information related to this individual being appointed as rapporteur. A rapporteur plays a crucial role. I want to encourage the members of the Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo, who have a mandate, to address the Constitutional Court after the decision is published in the case initiated by the PDK and LDK parties. Even after that ruling, the same issues should be raised before the Constitutional Court—in the hope that the same rapporteur judge will not be appointed. I would not encourage any institution to leave the matter with the Constitutional Court if such a sensitive issue is assigned to this judge—at least not until our judicial institutions finally clarify the situation,” Osmani stated.

When asked about the decision by the Specialist Chambers in The Hague to accept documents from Serbia as evidence, Osmani called it troubling.

“It is deeply troubling that any court which has a legal obligation to operate under the Kosovo legal system is accepting as evidence documents produced by the state of Serbia. This is extremely concerning to us because Serbia has no other goal than to return the region to an era of war and conflict. Kosovo’s only goal is peace and stability,” Osmani said.