OSCE Mission trains lawyers in Kosovo on hate crimes
The last of a series of six workshops on the identification and handling of hate crime cases for the members of the Kosovo Chamber of Advocates concluded on 14 February 2013 in Prizren.
The workshops, organized by the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, were used to introduce the concept and relevant standards for defining and punishing hate crimes to more than 150 lawyers.
“Hate crime is a relatively new concept for lawyers in Kosovo,” said Jasmin Gojani, Senior Legal Officer with the OSCE Mission. “Enabling them to identify the motives behind such crimes such as a victim’s ethnicity, race, as well as religious, political or cultural background will ultimately help lawyers to better defend the rights of their clients.”
The Mission has already delivered training courses on hate crime to the Kosovo police, judges and prosecutors.
The OSCE Mission in Kosovo is mandated with human rights protection and promotion, democracy and public safety sector development.