"No talk of K. Serbs returning to courts"

Justice Ministry State Secretary Slobodan Homen says that there are currently no talks under way regarding the return of Serb judges to the Kosovo courts. Homen told daily Politika that the government was seeking certain conditions to be met before negotiations with Pristina could begin regarding the return of Serb judges and prosecutors to the Kosovo courts. "No talk of K. Serbs returning to courts" Homen’s comments contradict an earlier statement by EULEX spokeswoman Christina Herodes, who said that talks had begun between Belgrade and Pristina “in order to move forward,” and that Serb and Albanian judges had returned to the courts in Kosovska Mitrovica. Herodes said that no day had yet been confirmed for their return, because EULEX-mediated talks were still ongoing. Homen, however, said that no talks with Pristina or EULEX would be considered until certain conditions were met. “Before any kind of negotiations, the Serbian government wants EULEX to answer several essential questions. First and foremost, what regulations will be applied in the courts—Serbian, UNMIK’s that were applied up to 1999, or those of the Kosovo government, which are completely unacceptable for us,” Homen said. He said that it was important to establish whether the Kosovska Mitrovica court would try citizens from the south of the town as well, or whether it would only have authority for cases in the north. That is an important question, because the ethnic structure of the judges depends on it. Belgrade’s third condition is to establish where the appeals court will be located. Under the Serbian Law on Territorial Organization, the appeals court would be in Nis. Slobodan Homen (FoNet, archive)

"No talk of K. Serbs returning to courts"

Homen’s comments contradict an earlier statement by EULEX spokeswoman Christina Herodes, who said that talks had begun between Belgrade and Priština “in order to move forward,” and that Serb and Albanian judges had returned to the courts in Kosovska Mitrovica.

Herodes said that no day had yet been confirmed for their return, because EULEX-mediated talks were still ongoing.

Homen, however, said that no talks with Priština or EULEX would be considered until certain conditions were met.

“Before any kind of negotiations, the Serbian government wants EULEX to answer several essential questions. First and foremost, what regulations will be applied in the courts—Serbian, UNMIK’s that were applied up to 1999, or those of the Kosovo government, which are completely unacceptable for us,” Homen said.

He said that it was important to establish whether the Kosovska Mitrovica court would try citizens from the south of the town as well, or whether it would only have authority for cases in the north.

That is an important question, because the ethnic structure of the judges depends on it.

Belgrade’s third condition is to establish where the appeals court will be located.

Under the Serbian Law on Territorial Organization, the appeals court would be in Niš.