EU Office in Kosovo: The draft law on the protection of the KLA values contains provisions detrimental to freedom of expression

Gazeta Express

07/08/2020 20:24

The EU Office in Kosovo in a statement posted on Facebook says that the Draft Law on protection of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) valies contains provisions detrimental to freedom of expression.

According to the EU Office in Kosovo / EU Special Representative, modern democracies rely on critical scrutiny and informed debates to discuss and interpret historical events and achieve progress. The Kosovo Liberation Army is an integral part of the History of Kosovo.

“The Draft Law on the Protection of Kosovo Liberation Army’s War Values, however, contains provisions which raise serious concerns as regards the right of people to have their opinion. These provisions undermine and penalize freedom of expression, an essential element of the European core values and fundamental rights guaranteed by Kosovo Constitution and the European Convention on Human Rights,” the EU Office/EUSR said in a statement.

The EU Office calls on Kosovo MPs to reconsider such provisions. The EU considers that if adopted in its current format, this Law will undermine local and international efforts to further strengthen the respect of fundamental rights in Kosovo. /GazetaExpress/