EULEX chief says north Kosovo NGOs break ties with mission

“I regret to acknowledge that some NGOs operating in northern Kosovo are refusing to discuss their concerns with EULEX, thus missing the chance to share their concerns with the Mission in an open discussion,” Barbano wrote in an X post.

🧵I regret to acknowledge that some NGOs operating in northern Kosovo are refusing to discuss their concerns with EULEX, thus missing the chance to share their concerns with the Mission in an open discussion. 1/6

— Giovanni Pietro Barbano (@EulexHoM) October 30, 2024

🧵I regret to acknowledge that some NGOs operating in northern Kosovo are refusing to discuss their concerns with EULEX, thus missing the chance to share their concerns with the Mission in an open discussion. 1/6

His post comes after 5 leading civil society organizations from north Kosovo suspended cooperation with EULEX following what they said was the “unlawful detention and beating” of Mitrovica North resident Milos Subotic. The Kosovo Police Inspectorate recommended the suspension of two police officers over the October 26 incident.

Barnabo recalled that EULEX’s mandate is to robustly monitor all cases of concern through the entire chain of justice but that it does not carry out investigations into individual cases. “I therefore encourage anyone who requires information on the status and outcomes of such investigations to file their requests with the relevant authorities,” he added and listed the prosecution, Kosovo Police and Police Inspectorate “all of which are accountable for guaranteeing the human rights of every person without discrimination”.

“We will continue to engage with civil society for the benefit of all communities, condemning any acts which undermine social cohesion, and progress achieved through the EU-facilitated dialogue such as intimidation, hate speech, and sexual harassment,” he added.