Acting President of Kosovo Albulena Haxhiu has called on the Kosovo Judicial Council (KJC) to follow the approach taken by the Kosovo Prosecutorial Council (KPC) when addressing requests by Serbian judges to return to the justice system.
Haxhiu’s remarks come on the day the KJC is expected to review the issue during its 371st meeting, where the agenda includes discussions on her request and notifications from Serbian community judges and staff regarding the withdrawal of their resignations.
Haxhiu stated that justice institutions must make independent decisions, urging the KJC to also consider the decision of the Prosecutorial Council, which rejected requests by Serbian prosecutors to return after their resignations in 2022.
She also criticized the reactions of some international representatives regarding the process, questioning how their own countries would respond in a similar situation.
“Who among them would allow judges and prosecutors in their own countries to be directed by another state?” Haxhiu said.
The issue concerning Serbian judges is linked to the collective resignations of November 2022, when Serbian representatives withdrew from Kosovo’s institutions following the decision of the Serbian List to boycott Kosovo institutions.
Meanwhile, the European Union called on all political actors a day earlier to refrain from any form of pressure on the KJC and its members during the decision-making process.
The EU Office in Kosovo emphasized that an independent, impartial, and apolitical judicial system is essential for the rule of law.
“The EU Office in Kosovo calls on all political actors to refrain from exerting pressure on the Kosovo Judicial Council and its members during the decision-making process,” the EU said in its statement.
On the other hand, the Kosovo Prosecutorial Council has already decided on the case of Serbian prosecutors who submitted resignations, rejecting their requests to return. The decision was later formalized by Acting President Albulena Haxhiu.
