Kosovo's Ombudsperson Naim Qelaj has reacted from The Hague to the absence of representatives of the Specialist Chambers during the presentation of a report on the court prepared by British experts, which was also presented in The Hague today.
The authors of the report on the Specialist Chambers, Gus Waschefort and Lauren Lederle from the Bar Human Rights Committee of England and Wales (BHRC), presented the report’s findings on Thursday to European and American diplomats during a closed meeting in The Hague. Organizations and institutions dealing with international and transitional justice also attended the meeting.
At a press conference, Qelaj said the idea of drafting the report on the work and functioning of the Specialist Chambers came as a result of public concerns raised in Kosovo regarding whether the court operates in line with Kosovo’s standards of justice and whether it complies with international standards for a fair and impartial trial.
He also commented on the refusal of the Specialist Chambers and the Specialist Prosecutor’s Office to participate in such a discussion, saying he considers it not only a refusal to accept criticism and evaluation, but also a refusal to be transparent and accountable.The report was prepared by experts from the Bar Human Rights Committee (BHRC) in London at the initiative of the Ombudsperson Institution and was published at the end of April.
According to Qelaj, the report was drafted by an independent committee engaged by the Ombudsperson Institution, stressing that the institution did not interfere in its preparation.
