Four bills on international legal cooperation agreements between Kosovo, Sweden and Belgium were approved by the Committee on Legislation, Mandates, Immunities, the Rules of Procedure of the Assembly and Oversight of the Anti-Corruption Agency.
Each bill received 11 votes in favor, with no votes against or abstentions.
Të lidhura
None found
Three of the bills concern agreements between the Republic of Kosovo and the Kingdom of Sweden on extradition, the transfer of sentenced persons and mutual legal assistance in criminal matters. The fourth bill provides for ratification of the Treaty on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters between Kosovo and the Kingdom of Belgium.
Committee chair Vigan Qorrolli of the Vetëvendosje Movement explained that the agreements with Sweden establish a framework for cooperation in criminal justice, covering legal assistance, extradition and the transfer of sentenced persons.
Qorrolli: Agreements with Sweden cover cooperation in criminal justice
“These are international agreements between our country and the Kingdom of Sweden in the field of international legal cooperation. The first concerns criminal matters and relations between states in the field of criminal law; the second concerns extradition, while the other concerns the transfer of sentenced persons. This is a comprehensive package of laws linking the states in the field of criminal justice. If a citizen of the Republic of Kosovo is tried in Sweden for a criminal offence, or is required to serve a sentence there for an offence committed in that country, they can be transferred to the Republic of Kosovo to serve their sentence. The same applies in the opposite direction,” Qorrolli said.
Under other business, Qorrolli said the committee would appoint working groups to assess candidates and applications following the close of recruitment processes for two vacancies on the Kosovo Judicial Council and for the director of the Anti-Corruption Agency.
On behalf of the Vetëvendosje Movement Parliamentary Group, he proposed MP Blerim Gashi to lead the group that will review applications for membership of the Kosovo Judicial Council. The creation of the two working groups was approved by 11 votes in favor.
Two working groups approved to review candidates for the KJC and ACA
“The recruitment processes for the two vacant positions on the Judicial Council and the second process to select the director of the Anti-Corruption Agency have now concluded. As a functional committee, we will establish working groups to review the candidates and applications. On behalf of the Vetëvendosje Movement Parliamentary Group, I propose MP Blerim Gashi as chair of the group reviewing applications for membership of the Kosovo Judicial Council,” Qorrolli said.
Democratic Party of Kosovo MP Blerta Deliu-Kodra expressed dissatisfaction with the way the agreements were reviewed. She called for the Minister of Justice to appear before the committee and brief MPs on their contents before the vote.
Deliu-Kodra: Minister has previously briefed the committee on agreements
“Until now, the practice has been for the minister to come to the committee and report on the agreements. These are not agreements that require no detailed consideration, so the Assembly should not disregard these good practices. The minister has held bilateral meetings with representatives of the countries, and it would be good for both the public and us if she briefed MPs before the vote. These practices should not be bypassed, and votes should not be held as they were today,” Deliu-Kodra said.
