President of Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani, has officially withdrawn her request to the Constitutional Court concerning the formation of the Parliament, following the appointment of Radomir Laban as the reporting judge in the case.
Osmani stated that Laban poses a serious risk to national security, referencing classified information from security institutions regarding his activities in 2018, 2021, and 2024.
“At the moment, we cannot disclose the details. Maybe later. These are classified documents that cannot be shared with the public,” said President Osmani during a press conference.
Who is Radomir Laban?
Radomir Laban currently serves as a judge at the Constitutional Court of Kosovo.
He was appointed in August 2018 by the former President Hashim Thaçi, although initially in May 2018, Thaçi had refused to decree him until a full background check was conducted. Despite earlier concerns, Laban was decreed a few months later.
In a controversial twist, Laban was convicted in Serbia in 2011 for accepting bribes and sentenced to six years in prison.
In 2017, Serbia requested EULEX to arrest Laban, but the mission declined, stating it had no mandate for such action.
Laban was nominated by the Serb List party and was subsequently approved by the Kosovo Parliament for the role at the Constitutional Court. His term is nine years.
In 2024, Kosovo’s Ministry of Justice rejected his appointment as a notary, citing integrity concerns based on reports from the Kosovo Intelligence Agency (AKI).
Constitutional Limitations and President Osmani’s Response
President Osmani emphasized that she has no authority to dismiss Laban, as the Constitution requires a proposal supported by two-thirds of the Court’s judges. Without such a proposal, the President cannot take action.
“This judge was not appointed by me, but in 2018. According to the Constitution, removing a Constitutional Court judge requires a proposal supported by 2/3 of the Court’s judges. Only then can the President act. Without that proposal, no step can be taken.”
Osmani explained that her decision to withdraw the case is a necessary measure to protect the constitutional order of Kosovo.
“It is absurd to expect that our constitutional order be protected by someone who threatens it,” she concluded.
