EU says Kosovo dismissals of Serb prosecutors may breach law

The European Union has criticised Kosovo’s acting president for dismissing seven ethnic Serb prosecutors, saying the move may violate the law and due process.

It urged Kosovo’s institutions not to block the prosecutors from returning to the justice system.

The prosecutors resigned in November 2022 during a mass withdrawal of Serb officials from Kosovo’s institutions in the north. The walkout followed a dispute over Serbian-issued vehicle plates.

They later asked to withdraw their resignations. Kosovo’s council overseeing prosecutors rejected those requests, and acting President Albulena Haxhiu signed the dismissal decrees.

Haxhiu said the decision ended a process left unresolved for years. The EU says the return of Serb judges and prosecutors is also being discussed in talks between Kosovo and Serbia.