24 December 2013

In a Mission such as EULEX where the rule of law is the corner stone of its mandate, there is no room for internal or external interference within the judicial process. Interference with the judge, who decided about the appeal, would be absolutely unacceptable for the highest EU Representatives, as well as for the Head of the Rule of Law Mission. Democracy is our core value, the central pillar of the EU, where independence of the judiciary represents the central element of this value. The EULEX Mission reiterates that judges and their decisions are independent and autonomous and cannot be overridden by the Mission or any other entity, excluding the judicial power. The Mission, therefore, strongly denies the allegations of the interference with the judiciary as untrue, discrediting and unfounded.