Press Release

Human Rights Review Panel - 6th regular session

Number              03-2011
Date                  20.04.2011
Contact              John J Ryan

The Human Rights Review Panel (Panel) held its 6th regular session in Prishtinë/Priština from 6 to 8 April 2011.

There are currently sixteen (16) complaints pending with the Panel. The Panel declared one (1) of those complaints inadmissible. The Panel also found a human rights violation in one (1) complaint by EULEX in the performance of its executive mandate. The case concerned non-execution of a final decision in a property related complaint in Mitrovicë/Mitrovica. The violation was found with regard to Article 6 of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (ECHR) and of Article 1 of Protocol No. 1 to the Convention. The decisions have been transmitted to the complainants as well as the Head of Mission (HoM), EULEX Kosovo. They will be published on the Panel’s website upon translation into the Albanian and Serbian languages.

In addition to examining complaints, the Panel continued with its ongoing information campaign in a meeting with the Municipal Human Rights Coordinators and Officers in Government Buildings, in group discussions on domestic violence in the case law of the European Court of Human Righst in the Human Rights Review Panel Building and with an outreach campaign meeting with students at the American University of Kosovo, Prishtinë/Priština. These events included presentations by the Panel on its mandate and activities. Further outreach campaign meetings are being conducted on a weekly basis throughout the municipalities in Kosovo.

Mr. Andrew Sparkes, Deputy Head of Mission EULEX Kosovo paid a courtesy visit to the Panel on 8 April and was briefed on its mandate and activities.

The Panel re-selected Mr. Antonio Balsamo as its presiding member for the second one-year term. The next Panel session takes place from 6 to 8 June 2011.

Please see www.hrrp.eu for more information on the Panel.

Notes to the editor;
The Human Rights Review Panel (Panel) for EULEX Kosovo, as an independent accountability mechanism for alleged violations of human rights,  reviews complaints from any person claiming to be the victim of human rights violations by EULEX Kosovo in the conduct of its executive mandate. The Panel is not a judicial or disciplinary body. The mechanism will solely look into whether a violation of human rights occurred or not and formulate recommendations for remedial action. Such action does no include monetary compensation.  The Psnel is independent in the exercise of its functions which it performs with impartiality and integrity.