Specialist Chambers: We remain committed to our mandate to ensure fair judicial proceedings

The Kosovo Specialist Chambers said that they remained fully focused on carrying out their mandate, which entails conducting fair, independent and impartial judicial proceedings.

The institution declined to comment on the proposed amendments to the Law on the Specialist Chambers submitted to the Assembly by the Democratic Party of Kosovo.

“The Kosovo Specialist Chambers remain fully committed to their mandate to ensure fair, independent and impartial judicial proceedings and have no comment,” the institution said in a response to Kosovo Online.

Several days ago, PDK President Bedri Hamza explained that the proposed amendments to the legal framework governing the Specialist Chambers and the Specialist Prosecutor’s Office were intended to limit their jurisdiction to the specific allegations contained in Dick Marty’s report, while cases falling outside that jurisdiction would be transferred to Kosovo.

The initiative was prompted by the first-instance convictions of four former KLA leaders, which have sparked daily protests.

However, experts recently told Kosovo Online that judicial institutions could not be abolished or altered simply because one of the parties was dissatisfied with the outcome of proceedings, including through decisions of the Assembly. They also pointed out that the Kosovo Constitutional Court does not serve as a court of further appeal reviewing judgments of the Specialist Chambers.