Muharremi: Kosovo must focus on the appeal — funds, the best lawyers and diplomacy needed

Analyst Shenoll Muharremi has assessed that the appeals process should be Kosovo’s main focus after the September 16 judgment of the Specialist Chambers in The Hague.

According to him, of all forms of reaction, the appeal carries the greatest weight in the possibility of changing the judgment, while legislative initiatives and protests have more limited impact.

‘The Appeals process remains the main and most important instrument for changing the September 16 judgment of the Specialist Chambers,’ Muharremi wrote.

He also made a rough division of the importance of the actions that, in his view, should be undertaken, saying that most of the energy and resources should be concentrated on legal defense and diplomacy.

‘The Appeal accounts, out of 100%, for about 90% of the importance, so the focus and energy should be concentrated there,’ he stated.

Muharremi argued that a unilateral change of the Specialist Chambers’ procedures is difficult, due to the manner of their establishment and the constitutional implications of the process.

‘Unfortunately, as the Special Court was established, it is difficult to unilaterally change procedures and modify the process. Because this process has constitutional implications, the impact of legislative initiatives remains limited,’ he wrote.

According to Muharremi, the priority should be securing funds for the defense, engaging lawyers with international experience and a more active diplomacy.

‘Preparation for the Appeal, funds + proactive diplomacy, remain the main instruments. We need a lot of funds and the best lawyers in the world. We need proactive diplomacy,’ he stressed.

He described the protests as important actions in terms of support and solidarity, but said they have no direct impact on the decision-making of the judges in The Hague.

In his proposed division, Muharremi assessed that 75 percent of energy and resources should be directed to funds and lawyers, 15 percent to proactive diplomacy, 7 percent to support and solidarity protests and 3 percent to legal initiatives in the Assembly.

According to him, future actions should be oriented where the possibility of influencing the outcome of the process is greatest.