19th “Not in my name” protest in Pristina calls for approval of changes to the Specialist Chambers law

A day before the plenary session of the Kosovo Assembly, the “Not in my name” protest is taking place in Skanderbeg Square in Pristina against the guilty verdict issued by the Specialist Chambers in The Hague against Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) leaders.

This evening’s protest is the 19th in a series that began on September 16, following the Specialist Chambers’ decision, which sparked widespread reactions.

The organizers are calling for the draft law amending and supplementing the Law on the Specialist Chambers and the Specialist Prosecutor’s Office to be approved as soon as possible.

The plenary session was called by Kosovo Assembly Speaker Albulena Haxhiu for Monday, October 5, at 09:00. The first review of the draft law is the first item on the agenda.

Before the session begins, at 8:00, the Legislation Committee will review the draft law on amendments to the Law on the Specialist Chambers and the Specialist Prosecutor’s Office.

The Kosovo government said several days ago that there were no legal obstacles to the initiative by the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), which aims to amend the law.

Under the PDK initiative, the draft law proposes a review of the jurisdiction of the Specialist Chambers. Among other things, it would allow cases deemed to fall outside their jurisdiction to be prosecuted in Kosovo, permit appeals to the Supreme Court of Kosovo, cap the maximum sentence at 15 years, and allow sentences to be served in Kosovo.

The amendments also include the possibility of people convicted by the Specialist Chambers receiving a presidential pardon.

The debate over the draft law is taking place as the Kosovo Assembly nears the end of the constitutional deadline for electing a president.

According to the Constitutional Court’s ruling, the 60-day deadline for electing a president began on August 8, following the constitution of the Assembly, and expires on October 6. If a president is not elected by that date, the Assembly will be dissolved and Kosovo will hold new parliamentary elections.