Serbs in northern town organize protest over courts

Employees of the Serbian judiciary staged a protest in northern Kosovska Mitrovica on Tuesday, said reports. They sent a message that they find it unacceptable to have the District and the Municipal Court in Kosovska Mitrovica work according to the Kosovo laws. Serbs in northern town organize protest over courts The employees of the Serbian judiciary requested from the EU mission in Kosovo to remain status neutral and operate in the frames of UN Security Council Resolution 1244. Municipal Public Prosecutor Milan Bigovic stated that the employees have staged a rally over the announcement by some Kosovo Albanian officials in Pristina that the building of the Kosovska Mitrovica court will be seized and that the court employees will start to work according to the Kosovo laws. “We have gathered to show that the employees in the justice system and Serbs in general find this unacceptable,” Bigovic said. He underlined that at the same time this is a message to EULEX to be status neutral and to protect the UNSC Resolution 1244, according to which, as he put it, the representatives of the mission were allowed to work in the Kosovska Mitrovica court. “This is a warning protest and if necessary the employees will prevent Albanian judges and prosecutors from entering the building by daily protests and blockages,” Bigovic warned. During the protest, the gates of the District and the Municipal Court were not closed, while apart from Kosovo police the court building was also secured by EULEX. Representatives of the Kosovo government recently announced that Kosovo judges and prosecutors would be reinstated in northern Kosovska Mitrovica, justifying this move by, as they said, their wish to introduce law and order in north Kosovo. The Kosovska Mitrovica court which at the moment employs only international judges and prosecutors was reopened in October 2008, after being closed for over seven and a half months in the wake of the ethnic Albanian unilateral declaration of independence made in early 2008. The Kosovska Mitrovica court was closed after it was raided by international forces in March 2008, who arrived to arrest Serb judges and prosecutors protesting inside, to soon release them with no charges pressed against them. But the raid sparked serious clashes in the town which claimed the life of one UNMIK police officer, leaving 64 others and 24 members of KFOR injured. About 100 Serb civilians who took part in protests that followed the raid were also injurred.

Serbs in northern town organize protest over courts

The employees of the Serbian judiciary requested from the EU mission in Kosovo to remain status neutral and operate in the frames of UN Security Council Resolution 1244.

Municipal Public Prosecutor Milan Bigović stated that the employees have staged a rally over the announcement by some Kosovo Albanian officials in Priština that the building of the Kosovska Mitrovica court will be seized and that the court employees will start to work according to the Kosovo laws.

“We have gathered to show that the employees in the justice system and Serbs in general find this unacceptable,” Bigović said.

He underlined that at the same time this is a message to EULEX to be status neutral and to protect the UNSC Resolution 1244, according to which, as he put it, the representatives of the mission were allowed to work in the Kosovska Mitrovica court.

“This is a warning protest and if necessary the employees will prevent Albanian judges and prosecutors from entering the building by daily protests and blockages,” Bigović warned.

During the protest, the gates of the District and the Municipal Court were not closed, while apart from Kosovo police the court building was also secured by EULEX.

Representatives of the Kosovo government recently announced that Kosovo judges and prosecutors would be reinstated in northern Kosovska Mitrovica, justifying this move by, as they said, their wish to introduce law and order in north Kosovo.

The Kosovska Mitrovica court which at the moment employs only international judges and prosecutors was reopened in October 2008, after being closed for over seven and a half months in the wake of the ethnic Albanian unilateral declaration of independence made in early 2008.

The Kosovska Mitrovica court was closed after it was raided by international forces in March 2008, who arrived to arrest Serb judges and prosecutors protesting inside, to soon release them with no charges pressed against them.

But the raid sparked serious clashes in the town which claimed the life of one UNMIK police officer, leaving 64 others and 24 members of KFOR injured.

About 100 Serb civilians who took part in protests that followed the raid were also injurred.