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Minister Nekibe Kelmendi attended the International Forum against the death penalty, which was held in Florence, Italy

Minister Nekibe Kelmendi attended the International Forum against the death penalty, which was held in Florence, Italy

Prishtina, 29/11/2009

With the invitation of the Italian Foreign Ministry and the organization of Toskanas region of Italy, Minister of Justice, Ms.. Nekibe Kelmendi, took part in international forum against death penalty, which was held in Florence, Italy. 
In this conference, except Kosovo participants were the representatives from Armenia, Ukraine, Philippines, Togo and Uzbekistan. 

During the proceedings of this forum, Minister Kelmendi, presented the legal infrastructure of Kosovo, which prohibits the death penalty. 
"Kosovo has abolished the death penalty by criminal law in 2000, with UNMIK Regulation no. 2000/59, dated October 27 , 200 for the amendment of  Regulation  no . 1999/24 on applicable law in Kosovo ", said Minister Kelmendi and added that the Constitution of the Republic of Kosovo (article 25 paragraph 2), is prohibited the death penalty, so that the Kosovo Criminal Code doesn’t foresee sentence measure. "Therefore Kosovo also , as a democratic state, joined  other European countries in terms of removing the death penalty, thus respecting the human right to life, foreseen by the European Convention on Human Rights and Protocol 6, said minister Kelmendi . 

Minister Kelmendi continued her speech by saying  that Kosovo is not a signatory of this convention and its additional protocols, but desiring to promote the fundamental value, and the rights involved in these international instruments, Republic of Kosovo included constitutional category the  right to life and has abolished the death penalty, while the European Convention on Human Rights and Additional Protocols also included in the Constitution, so that all laws of Kosovo, especially the Penal Code and the code of Criminal Procedure, are in accordance with the Constitution and international documents, concluded her speech minister Kelmendi. 

Kelmendi minister's speech, the organizer of this conference is described as strong evidence to combat any crime and any violation of human rights, while Kosovo was assessed  as a state which respects in the highest level the human rights, precisely because the act of its highest law – the Constitution, promotes greatest human values, such as the right to life. 

At the end of the proceedings of this Forum, participants came up with a joint statement. In this  joint statement is said: "We consider that the death penalty is extreme punishment, rude, inhuman and degrading, of all sentences and an act that violates basic human rights. We believe such a sentence represents an obvious omission of the legal system and synonym of social discrimination , racial and gender ", it was said among other in the final Declaration of the Forum. 
International forum against the death penalty is held annually in Region Toskanas because this region is the first country in the world that abolished for the penal code the death sentence in 1786. 
Minister Kelmendi in Forum had the opportunity to meet with representatives of several countries which have not yet recognized the independence of Kosovo, where is worth mentioning  meeting with the ambassador of the Republic of Togos for Italy, the UK, Spain, Greece and France , headquartered in Paris, Tchao Sotua Bere, which talked about the possibilities of his commitment, that the Government of Togos to recognize as soon as possible Kosovo's independence. 

The Italian media expressed great interest for the Kosovo situation, where Kelmendi Minister gave an interview to prominent Italian newspaper "La Republica", and an interview for a film company, which is preparing a film against the death penalty, with entitled "Your my last breath". 
Kosovar delegation led by Minister Kelmendi enjoyed special respect as from the host of the Forum as well from the participants in it. 

Foto Galeria

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