EULEX: No date for return of judges

EULEX issued a statement in Pristina today saying that there has been no date set for the return of judges to a court in northern Kosovska Mitrovica. The statement came from the EU mission in Kosovo, EULEX, chief Yves de Kermabon, saying it regarded "the return of Kosovo Albanian and Kosovo Serb judges and prosecutors to the (Kosovska) Mitrovica District Court". EULEX: No date for return of judges “As discussions are continuing between the relevant stakeholders, the local judges and prosecutors will not return to the Mitrovica District Court on July 15. In fact, no date has yet been set for this. For the time being, the court is partly functional, operating only with EULEX judges and prosecutors," said the press release. "Once more, I must reiterate the urgent need to restore the full functionality of the (Kosovska) Mitrovica District Court, and the best way forward is to find solutions in coordination with all relevant stakeholders," stated Kermabon. "The most important issue is that everyone, regardless of ethnicity, has free and fair access to the law. The full functioning of the court is a matter of urgency and of basic human rights. The return of Kosovo Serb and Kosovo Albanian judges and prosecutors will ensure that justice will be delivered by a single court and multi-ethnic judiciary which will benefit all communities. EULEX will continue to work hard to achieve this goal," the EULEX chief concluded in his statement. Earlier this month, Minister for Kosovo Goran Bogdanovic commented on this subject, saying that "unless the intention was to impose unilateral decisions and solutions on Serbs", the opening of the court in northern, mostly Serb part of the divided town, "could not be allowed".

EULEX: No date for return of judges

“As discussions are continuing between the relevant stakeholders, the local judges and prosecutors will not return to the Mitrovica District Court on July 15. In fact, no date has yet been set for this. For the time being, the court is partly functional, operating only with EULEX judges and prosecutors," said the press release.

"Once more, I must reiterate the urgent need to restore the full functionality of the (Kosovska) Mitrovica District Court, and the best way forward is to find solutions in coordination with all relevant stakeholders," stated Kermabon.

"The most important issue is that everyone, regardless of ethnicity, has free and fair access to the law. The full functioning of the court is a matter of urgency and of basic human rights. The return of Kosovo Serb and Kosovo Albanian judges and prosecutors will ensure that justice will be delivered by a single court and multi-ethnic judiciary which will benefit all communities. EULEX will continue to work hard to achieve this goal," the EULEX chief concluded in his statement.

Earlier this month, Minister for Kosovo Goran Bogdanović commented on this subject, saying that "unless the intention was to impose unilateral decisions and solutions on Serbs", the opening of the court in northern, mostly Serb part of the divided town, "could not be allowed".