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28 January 2016 National Assembly Delegation Member Prof. Dr Zarko Obradovic Addresses PACE in Debate on “The Situation in Kosovo and the Role of the Council of Europe” (©Council of Europe)
Thursday, 28 January 2016
National Assembly Delegation Member Prof. Dr Zarko Obradovic Addresses PACE in Debate on “The Situation in Kosovo and the Role of the Council of Europe”
Prof. Dr Zarko Obradovic, member of the National Assembly’s delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, took part in the debate on “The situation in Kosovo and the role of the Council of Europe”, during the plenary session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg.
In his address, Prof. Dr Zarko Obradovic said:
“Mr President,
Dear colleagues,
First, I would like to commend the work Mr Conde did in preparing the report and the resolution. This high-quality document addresses the Council of Europe standards in the field of democracy, human rights and the rule of law, and assesses whether and to what extent those standards are being implemented in Kosovo.
Considering that Serbia does not recognise the so-called independence of Kosovo, just like the United Nations or a great many Council of Europe member countries, I commend the neutral status Mr Conde used in the preparation of the Resolution.
The resolution notes a number of negative developments and events, to which Serbia has been drawing attention for the past 17 years without yet receiving any answer. After 17 years of an international military and civilian presence in Kosovo, through different UN structures, the European Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo and interim institutions, we are still witnessing the following:
- ethnically motivated crimes against Serbs and non-Albanians, including against returnees, children and schoolchildren, with 79 new incidents having been reported only last year;
- the destruction and desecration of the cultural and religious heritage of the Serbian people, with 10 attacks on Serbian churches in 2015;
- the impossibility of securing the return of about 250 000 Serbs and other non-Albanians who were forced to leave in 1999 – according to the report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, only 4 000 of all those displaced permanently returned, and that was because of reasons of security and an inability for them to lead a normal life;
- the absence of prosecutions of cases of war crimes committed against Serbs, and cases of inhuman treatment and the illegal trafficking of human organs, as was acknowledged in Dick Marty’s report, which was adopted by the Parliamentary Assembly five years ago;
- and more than 1 000 Serbs and non-Albanians having been killed since 1999 without a single final court decision having been declared.
- In addition, there are no decisions on claims concerning the property rights of Serbs and claims for the restitution of the land that was forcefully taken from them.
I would like to remind of this Assembly’s Resolution of 22 January 2013 in which it expressed some concern for the situation and the safety of the Serb community, calling for a change and creation of better conditions for the return of the exiles. There is no evidence that the situation has changed for the better. The so-called Kosovo authorities have shown no political will to resolve the outstanding problems, process and punish the guilty parties and improve the position of Serbs.
The verdict in the Oliver Ivanovic case pronounced by the EULEX court last week, whereby he was sentenced to nine years in prison for an unproven and unconfirmed “crime” committed in 1999, clearly illustrated how the judiciary in Kosovo is really functioning; Serbs and non-Albanians are blamed for everything that happened in the past and for everything happening now, whereas Albanians are not responsible for anything.
When we also consider other things happening in Kosovo, including corruption, drugs and arms trafficking, money laundering and migrant smuggling, we get the full picture of the current situation in Kosovo.
Serbia is committed to peace, dialogue, democracy and the rule of law. In the interests of our future, and with a wish to improve the situation in Kosovo, and the position of Serbs and other non-Albanians, Belgrade has signed the agreement with Pristina in Brussels. Unfortunately, the vital elements of this agreement – agreement on the establishment of an association/community of Serb majority municipalities in Kosovo – have not been implemented yet.
We will vote for the proposed resolution, as it represents a starting point that we hope will give us the answers to previously posed questions. For the past 17 years, we have been witnessing violence and crimes against Serbs in Kosovo. The law is not respected and there is no justice.
The resolution is an attempt to make things different. Enough has been said – we need actions.”
“Mr President,
Dear colleagues,
First, I would like to commend the work Mr Conde did in preparing the report and the resolution. This high-quality document addresses the Council of Europe standards in the field of democracy, human rights and the rule of law, and assesses whether and to what extent those standards are being implemented in Kosovo.
Considering that Serbia does not recognise the so-called independence of Kosovo, just like the United Nations or a great many Council of Europe member countries, I commend the neutral status Mr Conde used in the preparation of the Resolution.
The resolution notes a number of negative developments and events, to which Serbia has been drawing attention for the past 17 years without yet receiving any answer. After 17 years of an international military and civilian presence in Kosovo, through different UN structures, the European Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo and interim institutions, we are still witnessing the following:
- ethnically motivated crimes against Serbs and non-Albanians, including against returnees, children and schoolchildren, with 79 new incidents having been reported only last year;
- the destruction and desecration of the cultural and religious heritage of the Serbian people, with 10 attacks on Serbian churches in 2015;
- the impossibility of securing the return of about 250 000 Serbs and other non-Albanians who were forced to leave in 1999 – according to the report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, only 4 000 of all those displaced permanently returned, and that was because of reasons of security and an inability for them to lead a normal life;
- the absence of prosecutions of cases of war crimes committed against Serbs, and cases of inhuman treatment and the illegal trafficking of human organs, as was acknowledged in Dick Marty’s report, which was adopted by the Parliamentary Assembly five years ago;
- and more than 1 000 Serbs and non-Albanians having been killed since 1999 without a single final court decision having been declared.
- In addition, there are no decisions on claims concerning the property rights of Serbs and claims for the restitution of the land that was forcefully taken from them.
I would like to remind of this Assembly’s Resolution of 22 January 2013 in which it expressed some concern for the situation and the safety of the Serb community, calling for a change and creation of better conditions for the return of the exiles. There is no evidence that the situation has changed for the better. The so-called Kosovo authorities have shown no political will to resolve the outstanding problems, process and punish the guilty parties and improve the position of Serbs.
The verdict in the Oliver Ivanovic case pronounced by the EULEX court last week, whereby he was sentenced to nine years in prison for an unproven and unconfirmed “crime” committed in 1999, clearly illustrated how the judiciary in Kosovo is really functioning; Serbs and non-Albanians are blamed for everything that happened in the past and for everything happening now, whereas Albanians are not responsible for anything.
When we also consider other things happening in Kosovo, including corruption, drugs and arms trafficking, money laundering and migrant smuggling, we get the full picture of the current situation in Kosovo.
Serbia is committed to peace, dialogue, democracy and the rule of law. In the interests of our future, and with a wish to improve the situation in Kosovo, and the position of Serbs and other non-Albanians, Belgrade has signed the agreement with Pristina in Brussels. Unfortunately, the vital elements of this agreement – agreement on the establishment of an association/community of Serb majority municipalities in Kosovo – have not been implemented yet.
We will vote for the proposed resolution, as it represents a starting point that we hope will give us the answers to previously posed questions. For the past 17 years, we have been witnessing violence and crimes against Serbs in Kosovo. The law is not respected and there is no justice.
The resolution is an attempt to make things different. Enough has been said – we need actions.”
