Page:SECOND ANNUAL REPORT 2001 – 2002.pdf/36

 19 March 2002: Letter to the Deputy SRSG for Police and Justice asking for accelerated handling of requests from a group of high school students for UNMIK travel documents in order for them to be able to participate in an academic programme abroad. In a letter of 22 March 2002, the Deputy SRSG for Police and Justice informed the Ombudsperson of the procedures to be followed to obtain ID cards and, subsequently, UNMIK Travel Documents. (The students all obtained the necessary papers and were able to participate in the programme.)

21 March 2002: Letter to the UNMIK Police Commissioner asking him to provide an individual with a copy of the UNMIK police report of an automobile accident involving the individual and KFOR, in order for the individual to proceed with discussions with his insurance company. In a letter of 15 April 2002, the UNMIK Police Commissioner informed the Ombudsperson that the matter at issue fell under the jurisdiction of the KFOR Military Police, from whom a copy of the report could be requested.

22 March 2002: Letter to the SRSG expressing the view of the Ombudsperson that courts conducting criminal proceedings in Kosovo should not be permitted to attempt to exercise their jurisdiction outside of Kosovo for part of those proceedings. There has been no response to this letter.

29 March 2002: Letter to the President of the Supreme Court asking for information about steps to be taken to move forward with civil proceedings regarding which no action had been taken for a considerable period of time In a letter of 3 May 2002, the Director of the UNMIK Department of Justice forwarded a memorandum of 18 April 2002 from the President of the Supreme Court explaining that the delay in the proceedings in the case at issue stemmed primarily from delays in the appointment of lay judges to the Court until 18 March 2002. He noted that he expected a decision in the case to be issued within a month of the date of his memo.

3 April 2002: Letter to the Director of "Elektrokovosa" (KEK) asking for the company to ensure that the electricity supply of a disabled unemployed person would not be cut off for failure to pay a large bill. There has been no response to this letter.

28 May 2002: Letter to the SRSG asking for his intervention with the Serbian authorities to enable individuals with accrued pension rights in Kosovo to obtain their pensions. (Identical requests had been addressed to the previous SRSG on two occasions). There has been no response to this letter.

31 May 2002: Letter to the SRSG expressing concern about the refusal of the Director of Dubrava Prison to permit representatives of the Ombudsperson to visit prisoners without providing twenty-four hours notice, in contravention of UNMIK Regulation 2000/38 on the Establishment of the Ombudsperson Institution in Kosovo. In a letter received by the Ombudsperson on 18 June 2002, the SRSG informed the Ombudsperson that the Regulation would be respected and recommended several means to ensure that visits of Ombudsperson Institution staff to detention facilities would go smoothly.

4 June 2002: Letter to the Deputy SRSG for Police and Justice expressing concern that the evictions or planned evictions of ethnic Albanians who had formerly resided in North Mitrovica from properties they were temporarily occupying in Pristina would render the affected families homeless, due to the impossibility of their returning to North Mitrovica. There has been no response to this letter.

5 June 2002: Letter to the General Director of Post and Telecom of Kosovo (PTK) asking for important information to be provided to the public in both Albanian and Serbian.