October 20, 2020
On October 18, 2020, Mrs. Leonora Shabani-Bajraktari, a member of the Municipal Assembly of Pristina, referring to a promotional video published by the Youth Initiative for Human Rights – Kosovo advocating for the rights of LGBTI people, specifically same-sex marriages, through a Facebook status, stated that such promotion is “excessive”.
Similarly, on October 12, 2020, Mr. Eman Rrahmani, a deputy of the Kosovo Assembly, opposed the ‘Pride Parade’ with such positions ‘There is nothing better than being a parent, calling mother, father, daughter, son, grandmother, grandfather….! My political commitment is about the future of our children, my political commitment is for a family where there is a mother, father, son, daughter, grandmother, grandfather’.
Civil society organizations, the Center for Equality and Liberty (CEL), the Center for the Development of Social Groups (CSGD), the Youth Initiative for Human Rights – Kosovo (YIHR KS), the Kosovar Center for Gender Studies (QKSGj), and Civil Rights Defenders (CRD) believe that these statements are completely unacceptable and such actions only increase intolerance, hatred, and distrust among humans because offending, intolerance towards a certain social group does not represent any value.
Therefore, as defenders of human rights, organizations have written to the Self-Determination Movement requesting a response as to whether statements on social media by its activists holding public positions and elected by the citizens of Kosovo are also the positions of LVV and how LVV will address intolerance and hate speech on social media by its activists holding public positions and elected by the citizens of Kosovo.
Furthermore, in the case of LVV, as the most voted party in the recent elections, we believe that it is responsible and should show greater care and self-restraint from its members when making such statements.
Center for Equality and Liberty – CEL
Center for the Development of Social Groups – CSGD
Youth Initiative for Human Rights in Kosovo – YIHR KS
Kosovar Center for Gender Studies – QKSGJ
Civil Rights Defenders – CRD
