Serbian Orthodox Church

Information Service of
the Serbian Orthodox Church
December 23, 2005

OMBUDSMAN CRITICISES HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION

OMBUDSMAN CRITICISES HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION

Kosovo and Metochia’s ombudsman Marek Novicky has criticised the state of human rights in the province, under United Nations administration since 1999, saying it was “far from international standards”. Novicky, appointed by the international community five years ago to supervise the human rights situation in Kosovo, said that ethnic minorities in Kosovo, particularly Serbs and Romanics, "are still not in a position to move around freely", which is limiting their living conditions and economic activities.

At a press conference in Pristina on Wednesday evening, Novicky warned that the situation is likely to get worse unless the international community appoints a new human rights watchdog.

Chief UN administrator, Soren Jessen Petersen, who has wide arbitrary powers in the province, has decided to pass the human rights supervision to local ethnic Albanian authorities, a move that Novicky considers premature.

Source: www.adnki.com

[Serbian Translation Services]