PRESS RELEASE:

THE OMBUDSPERSON PUBLISHED THE REPORT CONCERNING THE OBLIGATION OF THE STATE TO PROTECT LIFE OF ITS CITIZENS

Prishtinë, August 1, 2019 – The Ombudsperson, pursuant to his constitutional and legal mandate, published Ex. Officio Recommendation Report No. 346/2019, which has been delivered to responsible authorities concerning State’s positive obligations related to protection from domestic violence on the right to life, the right which derives from the Constitution of Republic of Kosovo as well as from Article 2 of the European Convention on Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms and its Protocols.  

This Report has been Ex-Officio initiated by the Ombudsperson, with the aim to assess application of the main principles of State’s positive obligations related to the right to life, regarding the case of domestic violence occurred on April 22, 2019 in the area of Dardania in Prishtine, in the course of which a man murdered his wife, his daughter-in-law and has committed a suicide.

The Report evaluates effective accomplishment of the rights of persons / victims of domestic violence in Kosovo in relation to the access to care and treatment of this category of persons, focusing in particular on discrimination, inequality, the failure of relevant authorities to protect rights of domestic violence victims, as well as State’s obligations to protect the lives of its citizens.  These rights guaranteed by the Constitution and international instruments are exercised in practice through Laws, policies and strategies, enforcement of which has been analyzed by this Report, but as Report has found that violations have occurred as per accomplishment of its constitutional and legal obligations towards domestic violence victims, as well as per the liability of the State to protect citizens’ life, the Ombudsperson has come with specific recommendations addressed to relevant authorities regarding improvement of situation from the human rights perspective, with the aim to build a system in compliance with rule of law principles.

The given Report in its full form has been disseminated to the relevant institution,  to media as well as published on OI official web-page at the following link:

https://oik-rks.org//en/2019/08/01/report-with-recommendations-ex-officio-case-no-346-2019/​

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