March 2, 2023
CEL Kosova, CRD, CSGD, KKSGJ and YIHR continue with the same request submitted a year ago for the dismissal of Duda Balje, Chairperson of the Commission for Human Rights, Gender Equality, Victims of Sexual Violence during the War, for Missing Persons and Petitions. The Constitution of Kosovo as the highest legal act guarantees the rights of every citizen, civil liberties and the equality of all citizens before the law and prevents discrimination based on sexual orientation, while the Code of Conduct of Deputies, based on the principle of self-denial, specifies that deputies make decisions that are only in the public’s interest.
Duda Balje has continuously stated that she is against same-sex marriages on the basis that these are her personal opinions and should be understood as such. For us, such statements that single out and offend a group of citizens continue to be unacceptable, especially considering her position as the Chairperson of the Commission for Human Rights, Gender Equality, Victims of Sexual Violence during the War, for Missing Persons and Petitions.
Human rights are not only for a certain group of citizens but for all equally without any distinction. LGBTQI+ persons are citizens of the Republic of Kosovo and must enjoy the same right to marriage as heterosexual persons. Her position as chairperson of this commission is to protect and promote these rights, with special emphasis on the rights of vulnerable groups.
Therefore, the aforementioned organizations insist on her dismissal from the position of Chairperson of the Commission for Human Rights, Gender Equality, Victims of Sexual Violence during the War, for Missing Persons and Petitions as her positions are affecting the violation of rights of an important social group.
We remind you that Duda Balje is not there to give her personal opinions but has an institutional responsibility and duty to protect and respect human rights and freedoms.
