President Justina Shiroka-Pula returned the Law on the Specialist Chambers to the Assembly following a request from the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) parliamentary group. The party said it had made the request to allow the law to be supplemented and certain provisions amended, thereby strengthening its legal certainty. It also called for the process to proceed without “unnecessary delays,” setting a deadline of “within four weeks.” However, nearly a week has passed, and no steps have been taken so far.
On October 22, the PDK requested that the Law on the Specialist Chambers and the Specialist Prosecutor’s Office be returned to the Assembly for reconsideration. The law’s amendments had been approved during an expedited session held around midnight on October 6–7, alongside the election of the new president.
According to the request sent to President Shiroka-Pula by the PDK parliamentary group, the aim was to supplement the law and strengthen its legal safeguards.
“The PDK is proud of its legislative initiative and the support it has received. Defending the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA), the values of the liberation war, and supporting the liberators in The Hague remain non-negotiable responsibilities. The law has been finalised in the vast majority of its provisions. The reconsideration aims to provide a final professional review and address elements that could hinder its implementation. The request is for the law to return to the Assembly, not to the Government or for the process to start from scratch,” the letter sent to Shiroka-Pula stated.
The PDK further stressed that “this process must serve to finalise the law and bring it into force, without unnecessary delays.”
The party also outlined its expectations regarding the timeline for completing the procedure.
“We expect to approve it again within four weeks, just as we did on October 6, 2026. We thank everyone who has supported this law and those who will contribute to its finalisation,” the PDK said.
Although six days have passed since the President made her decision, discussions in the Assembly have yet to begin, and no schedule has been announced.
The PDK has invited experts “who have expressed their willingness” to contribute, including the Ombudsperson, to submit concrete proposals.
The European Union welcomed the decision to return the law to the Assembly. The EU had initially expressed concern when the amendments were approved by Kosovo’s Assembly in October. Brussels now expects to be consulted during the process.
“In the spirit of the exchange of letters between the EU High Representative and the President of Kosovo, which establishes arrangements for consultation with the EU before legislative amendments are made, we expect the EU to be consulted if discussions resume in the Assembly,” an EU spokesperson said.
The amendments to Kosovo’s Law on the Specialist Chambers followed 21 days of protests against the first-instance convictions for war crimes of four former KLA leaders: Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, Jakup Krasniqi and Rexhep Selimi.
Among other provisions, the amendments envisage narrowing the court’s jurisdiction, limiting prison sentences to a maximum of 15 years, having Supreme Court proceedings take place in Kosovo, and making convicted individuals eligible for presidential pardons.
