Kosovo President Blocks Serb Judge's Appointment

Kosovo President Hashim Thaci's office on Thursday said that he will not appoint Radomir Laban to the country's Constitutional Court until "competent security and judicial institutions conduct a full check-up" of his background.

"Due to suspicions regarding Laban's past, the President of Kosovo will not sign his appointment," Thaci's office told Radio Free Europe.

Laban, who was nominated by the main Kosovo Serb party, Srpska Lista, was voted onto the Constitutional Court by the Kosovo parliament on May 22.

However, Serbian media have reported that Laban is wanted in Serbia as one of 21 persons convicted in 2011 for involvement in illegal smuggling operations.

Laban was sentenced to six years in prison for his role in the affair by the Belgrade Higher Court, the Serbian media outlet Insajder reported.

The EU rule of law mission in Kosovo, EULEX, told Radio Free Europe that the Basic Court in Kraljevo, in Serbia, had asked it to apprehend Laban, but added that EULEX has no jurisdiction to grants such requests.

Laban was also placed on Interpol's wanted list at the request of Serbia.

However, the Belgrade-backed Srpska Lista party, which has nine seats in the Kosovo parliament, has described Laban as man of "high moral qualities and integrity", according to the northern Kosovo news website, Kossev.

"As a parliamentary group … we wish to propose and support the candidate with vast experience in law [and] a professional reputation in the field of constitutional law," Srpska Lista MP Slavko Simic said at the May 18 session.

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