In a report on human rights in the world in 2020, the State Department said that in Kosovo, some of the most important problems in this regard included unjust restrictions on the press, involving violence or threats of violence against journalists; corruption and impunity in government; attacks against members of ethnic minorities or other communities.
The government, the report said, took steps to identify, investigate, prosecute and punish officials who committed human rights abuses, but sometimes lacked continuity. Many people in the government, opposition, civil society and the media reported cases of senior officials involved in corruption or acting with impunity. Many corrupt officials continue to hold positions in the public sector, the report says.
Summary of the part of the report that talks about Kosovo:
Politicians and key civil society leaders, especially veterans' organizations, publicly denounced the Kosovo Specialized Chambers (KSC) and the Kosovo Specialized Prosecutor's Office (SPO) based in The Hague and attempted to undermine public support for the work. of SPO and KSC. These efforts included public protests, a petition to abolish the court, and a legislative initiative proposed by former president Hashim Thaçi that could have undermined the KSC's mandate.
As of September, the government's Commission on Missing Persons listed as missing 1,640 people who disappeared during the 1998-99 conflict and subsequent political violence. By law, the government's missing persons database does not include the ethnicity of missing persons unless it is voluntarily reported by their family. The commission hinted that about 70 percent were Albanians while 30 percent were Serbs, Roma, Ashkali, Balkan-Egyptian, Bosniak, Gorani, Montenegrin and others.
Freedom of expression
Credible reports insisted that some public officials, politicians, businesses and religious groups tried to intimidate media representatives. Funding problems also threatened media independence. Journalists encountered difficulties in obtaining information from the government and public institutions.
Independent media were active and expressed a variety of views, generally without restriction. However, there were reports of government officials, some political parties, government-linked businesses, religious groups and disgruntled individuals pressuring media owners, editors and reporters not to publish certain material. Some journalists retreated from critical investigative reporting because of fears for their physical safety or job security.
Some journalists complained that media owners and managers prevented them from publishing or broadcasting material critical of the government, political parties or particular officials.
Corruption and lack of transparency in government
Officials sometimes engaged in corrupt practices with impunity. The lack of effective judicial oversight and general weakness in the rule of law contributed to this problem.
NGOs and international organizations allude to numerous failures by the judicial system to prosecute corruption, noting that very few cases brought against high-ranking officials resulted in indictments. The sentencing of high-level officials found guilty of corruption was often lenient.
In at least four high-profile corruption cases, the Supreme Court found that lower courts had violated the criminal code in favor of the defendants.
Rape and domestic violence
EULEX noted that courts often imposed sentences lighter than the legal minimum in rape cases and that law enforcement agencies rarely took steps to protect victims and witnesses. In addition, the sentences were often further reduced by the appeals court. The Prosecutor's Office for Victim Assistance reported an increased number of domestic violence cases during the year, from 946 cases in 2019 to 1,145 cases as of October. Sexual violence and rape occurring within or outside the family were rarely reported by victims, often due to social stigma or a lack of trust in the authorities. /VoA/
