Human Rights Watch (HRW) recently published a report covering developments in both Kosovo and Serbia, addressing issues such as women’s rights and war crimes accountability.
Negative Points for Serbia:
- Despite existing legal protections for women, including the 2021–2030 Gender Equality Strategy, implementation remains weak.
- Gender-based violence remains widespread, and gaps in wages and economic inequality persist.
- Women from marginalized groups, particularly Roma women, face multiple discrimination and unequal access to healthcare.
- In terms of war crimes accountability, while the War Crimes Prosecutor’s Office opened several new investigations, progress remains slow:
- By September, 20 cases against 44 suspects were under review, accompanied by significant delays.
- The Belgrade High Court acquitted Milenko Zhivanović, former commander of the Drina Corps, for involvement in forced displacement during the Srebrenica genocide.
- Although the Belgrade Court of Appeals increased Danko Vladić’s sentence from 9 to 12 years, victims’ remains are still missing, indicating ongoing gaps in justice.
Positive Points for Kosovo:
- Kosovo extended the mandate of the commission responsible for recognizing survivors of sexual violence during the war until May 15, 2028, ensuring continued support.
- Recognized survivors are entitled to:
- Monthly pensions of €230,
- Free healthcare, and
- Employment benefits, although only about 2,000 of an estimated 20,000 survivors have received this status.
- The first public testimony from a male survivor was included during the commemoration on April 14, the Day of Survivors of Sexual Violence in War.
- War crimes accountability in Kosovo has progressed with notable convictions:
- Milos Plesković, a former Serbian paramilitary, was sentenced to 15 years for killing three ethnic Albanians near Gjakova in 1999.
- Two Serbian citizens were convicted in absentia for war-time rape, receiving 20-year sentences each.
- The Kosovo Specialist Chambers upheld or adjusted sentences for former KLA members, confirming accountability for arbitrary detention, torture, and killings during the 1999 conflict.
- These developments demonstrate active legal measures and recognition of victims’ rights, reflecting progress in human rights and accountability in Kosovo.
