2023 Report

Report

Over the course of 2023, a wide range of important milestones were reached, including the issuance of the first two appeal judgements, one involving war crimes and the other involving offences against the administration of justice. In addition, the first two decisions on the commutation, modification or alteration of sentences were made. The judicial activities further intensified with two trial proceedings commencing during the year. In one of these trials, the evidentiary phase had almost concluded by the end of 2023. In addition, four individuals were arrested in Kosovo and transferred to the KSC’s detention facilities in the Hague. KSC President Ekaterina Trendafilova travelled to Kosovo in November 2023 to meet with civil society and media representatives as part of the KSC Outreach Programme. During the course of 2023 the KSC launched its presence on the Instagram and “X” social media platforms in the three official languages of the court.

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2022 Report

Report

During 2022, the judicial activities of the KSC continued to increase. Two trial judgments were issued over the course of the year and two additional proceedings were transferred from the pre-trial to the trial phase. For the first time since the KSC became judicially operational, the Pre-Trial judge, Trial Panels, Court of Appels Panels, the Supreme Court Panel and the Specialist Chambers of the Constitutional Court were all active and rendered a wide range of decisions and orders. KSC President Trendafilova traveled to Kosovo in September 2022 to meet with civil society and media representatives in support of the KSC Outreach Programme. On the SPO side, Acting Specialist Prosecutor Alex Whiting has been ensuring the uninterrupted continuation of the SPO’s work, since former Specialist Prosecutor Jack Smith left the SPO in November 2022.

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2021 Report

Report

The 2021 annual report of the Kosovo Specialist Chambers together with the annual report of the Specialist Prosecutors’ Office highlights developments in the work of the KSC and SPO over the course of 2021. The 2021 Report also provides information about the functions and activities of the independent Ombudsperson of the KSC. The KSC reached a number of significant judicial milestones in 2021, with the start of two trials and two other cases advancing through the pre-trial phase. In March and April, the eighth accused was arrested and transferred to the KSC Detention Facilities in The Hague. In September 2021, President Trendafilova and Registrar Donlon travelled to Kosovo to meet with civil society, journalists and the wider public and to engage in a dialogue about the work of the court, informing people in Kosovo about the ongoing judicial proceedings and the judicial support functions of the Registry.

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2020 Report

Report

The annual report sets forth the developments at the Kosovo Specialist Chambers and Specialist Prosecutor’s Office over the course of 2020. The activity of the KSC and the SPO increased significantly over 2020, with the commencement of judicial proceedings and the arrest of seven accused in three different cases. These milestones were achieved as the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded. Over the course of the year, the Pre-Trial Judge, a Court of Appeals Panel and the Specialist Chamber of the Constitutional Court were all engaged in judicial activity. In addition, the Judges conducted their annual plenary remotely, adopted amendments to the Rules of Procedure and Evidence and elected a new Vice-President. The KSC continued to engage in a wide range of outreach activities to ensure the transparent and efficient dissemination of relevant developments as part of its unwavering commitment to communicating with the public in Kosovo and around the world about the KSC’s mandate.

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2019 Report

Report

The report highlights key milestones achieved in 2019. The milestones also include the move to the new premises with a highly equipped courtroom that provides for measures to ensure the safety and security of victims and witnesses. 2019 saw an increase in the judicial activity before the KSC, including matters brought before the Specialist Chamber of the Constitutional Court as well as matters concerning legal aid. The Judges of the KSC were also engaged throughout the year in different activities varying from preparations for upcoming proceedings to actual judicial involvement.  They stand ready to conduct fair, efficient, expeditious, safe and secure proceedings before the KSC in an independent and impartial manner. Communicating with people in Kosovo and the region about the mandate and work of the court has been a top priority of the KSC since its establishment and remained so in 2019, when outreach activities were significantly intensified.

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2018 Report

Report

The 2018 Report of the Kosovo Specialist Chambers and Specialist Prosecutor’s Office provides a detailed update on developments within these institutions in the course of 2018. The first part of the report deals with the Specialist Chambers, describing the progress made to further strengthen the court’s regulatory and procedural framework. A key priority during 2018 was to devise a legal framework conducive to effective proceedings and  innovative instruments in order to ensure the conduct of fair and secure proceedings where the rights of both the accused and victims are fully met, while guaranteeing swift and efficient trials. The second part introduces the new Specialist Prosecutor and describes the evolution of the Specialist Prosecutor’s Office.

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First annual report

Report

The first report of the Kosovo Specialist Chambers and the Specialist Prosecutor’s Office was published in June 2018. The first part of the report recounts the process that led to the Kosovo Specialist Chambers becoming judicially operational (April 2016 – July 2017) and further major steps in building the regulatory framework and strengthening outreach (July 2017 – February 2018). The second part of the report presents the background and establishment of the Specialist Prosecutor’s Office, highlighting its responsibility and the challenges of its work.

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