Pristina, March 28, 2025 – The Ombudsperson, Mr. Naim Qelaj, pursuant to Article 135, paragraph 1, of the Constitution of the Republic of Kosovo and Article 29, paragraphs 1 and 2, of the Law No. 05/L-019 on the Ombudsperson, submitted the Annual Report for 2024 to the Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo.

The report presents the situation of human rights in the country and the work of the Ombudsperson’s Institution, as well as provides an analysis and assessment of the situation regarding certain forms of violation of the rights of individuals or certain social groups.

During 2024, citizens addressed 1410 complaints, out of which 110 were addressed by citizens of Serbian nationality and 104 by citizens of other non-majority communities. From the investigation of complaints and ex officio investigations, a total of 176 recommendations were addressed.

The report presents cases of systematic and individual violations of freedoms and human rights and activities of the institution towards the promotion and education of human rights at many levels.

In general, the analysis of the investigated cases shows that the fact of the inability of justice institutions to guarantee a fair trial, due to the length and delays of judicial proceedings, continues to be a concern. The large number of citizen complaints, due to non-response by public authorities, is an indicator of the malfunctioning of accountability mechanisms for law enforcement, the lack of efficiency and negligence of the public administration in reviewing citizen complaints, which also affects the increase in the number of cases in the courts.

The report also found that in some cases there was a lack of dignified treatment of some sensitive categories that have faced challenges in realizing their rights. The report highlights the lack of coverage of medical treatment for persons with war invalid status; the obstacles that victims of sexual violence have encountered in realizing their status, both at the application stage and while receiving the services they are entitled to; the obligation of tetraplegic and paraplegic persons to present themselves for re-evaluation at medical commissions are some of the concerns that the Ombudsman has raised this year.

The Ombudsperson emphasizes that the protection of human rights is an ongoing process that requires commitment and broad cooperation to guarantee the rule of law and respect for democratic standards guaranteed by the Constitution of the Republic of Kosovo. The Ombudsperson will continue to remain committed to fulfilling his constitutional and legal mandate, in the service of citizens, for the protection and respect of human rights and fundamental freedoms.

The report in English soon available at www.oik-rks.org