Pristina, April 4th, 2023 – Ombudsperson, Mr. Naim Qelaj has met the UN Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Opinion and Expression, Mrs. Irene Khan who is staying in Kosovo on a fact-gathering mission with her team.

Ombudsperson Qelaj informed the Mrs. Khan of her interest in the work and activities of the Institution, the mandate and competencies, how the complaints of citizens are treated, and in particular the cases of journalists that related to the freedom of expression and the media.

Mr. Qelaj emphasized that Kosovo has a stable legal framework that guarantees freedom of expression and the media, however there are reports of attacks on journalists and the media, for which the Ombudsperson has responded in several cases and asked the authorities to take measures to prevent such attacks and threats.

The Ombudsperson also emphasized that in some cases he has recommended to public institutions to increase efficiency by not leaving unpunished cases that are against free speech. He also said that the institution is actually conducting a research regarding the presence of hate speech in public discourse.