Balkan legal developments: Supreme Court retrial and judicial salary disputes

Supreme Court retrial magistrate salaries legal defense costs Specialized Chambers constitutional violations

In North Macedonia, the Supreme Court has ordered a retrial for Stevço Jakimovski, a decision that results in his immediate release from further execution of his prison sentence. The court noted that previous rulings failed to clarify whether the administrative object involved was a permanent structure or a prefabricated building.

In Albania, political and legal tensions are rising over a draft law concerning magistrate salaries. Gazment Bardhi, leader of the PD parliamentary group, accused the majority of violating two Constitutional Court decisions. The General Prosecutor's Office also issued a statement claiming the draft law does not guarantee the effective implementation of Constitutional Court Decision No. 15 and creates unjustified differences between judicial levels.

In Kosovo, data from the Ministry of Justice reveals that over 40.6 million euros have been spent from the state budget to support the legal defense of individuals accused before the Specialized Chambers in The Hague. Of this amount, approximately 39.8 million euros were dedicated to legal defense, with over 28.4 million euros specifically allocated to the defense of Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, Rexhep Selimi, and Jakup Krasniqi.

Entities

Gazment Bardhi · Hashim Thaçi · Jakup Krasniqi · Kadri Veseli · Kosovo Specialised Chambers · Rexhep Selimi · Stevço Jakimovski · Supreme Court of North Macedonia

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[● 3 SOURCES] Lower courts failed to determine if the administrative object in question was a permanent structure or a prefabricated building. almakos.com · tetovasot.com · telegrafi.com
[● 3 SOURCES] Jakimovski is released from further execution of his previous prison sentence. almakos.com · tetovasot.com · telegrafi.com
[○ 1 SOURCE] More than 28.4 million euros were paid specifically for the defense of Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, Rexhep Selimi, and Jakup Krasniqi. www.arbresh.info
[● 3 SOURCES] The Supreme Court has ordered a retrial for Stevço Jakimovski. almakos.com · tetovasot.com · telegrafi.com
[○ 1 SOURCE] Over 40.6 million euros have been paid from the Kosovo budget for the legal defense and financial support of persons accused before the Specialized Chambers in The Hague. www.arbresh.info
[○ 1 SOURCE] The General Prosecutor's Office stated the draft law on magistrate salaries does not guarantee full implementation of Constitutional Court Decision No. 15. www.balkanweb.com
[○ 1 SOURCE] Gazment Bardhi accused the majority of violating two Constitutional Court decisions regarding magistrate salaries. faxweb.al