Eurasia Press & News
Goran Miletić, a member of the Standing Committee of NGOs of the Council of Europe, reminds that the return of the death penalty is a topic that we have had many times in the public life of Serbia and that experts have constantly explained that it is impossible and that it is incompatible with membership in the Council of Europe. “You can get out of SE, and then bring back the death penalty,” he explained.
Commenting on the initiative to return the death penalty, after the murder of two-year-old Danka Ilić, and the statements of the highest officials of Serbia, Miletić emphasized that simply the death penalty cannot be introduced if you are a member of the Council of Europe.
“The European Convention on Human Rights, which is the first thing you ratify when you enter the SE, talks about the right to life, from which the abolition of the death penalty was derived , which you cannot introduce in the civilized world. A simple death penalty cannot be introduced if you are a member of the SE, if you will, that would be quite scandalous. It seems to me that a part of the political spectrum needs to talk about it and have a debate about it. Who is for it or not, I would not like to comment, there are many things in our society where half of the people are for one thing and half for another, but that does not mean that it is in accordance with the standards and that it can be done”, explained Miletić in the show “Iza vesti”.
If the death penalty were to be introduced, he assumes that it would end up at the European Court of Human Rights and that Serbia would be required to cancel such a decision.
“So the situation is quite clear, and it is unclear to me why President Vučić, who says he is a good lawyer, is talking about this at all, but I believe that now because of everything that has happened, it is simply expedient, bearing in mind that the elections are going on,” he pointed out. Miletic.
“The report is clear about the admission of Kosovo to the SE”
Commenting on the formation of a legal team in Serbia that would try to prevent Kosovo’s entry into the CE, Miletić stated that it is the legitimate right of every country to lobby, but in this case he considers it “useless”.
“Kosovo is an emotional issue for Serbia, but creating a legal team and preventing Kosovo from entering the Council of Europe, since then the Serbs living in Kosovo will have more opportunities to protect their rights, I think it is completely pointless and does not lead to anything good Serbs in Kosovo”, said interviewee Danica Vučenić.
He added that this will perhaps lead to some, before the elections, popular, populist points for a part of the citizens who are very emotional when Kosovo is mentioned, which, as he stated, is a very large part of the citizens.
When asked if this working group has any chance of preventing Kosovo from becoming a member of the Council of Europe, bearing in mind that 12 European member states have not recognized Kosovo, Miletić pointed out that this is one of the more important things, but that in Strasbourg there is a clear desire not to there is no chance that Kosovo will not be accepted into the SE.
When asked if such a thing is a precedent, Miletić explains:
“It is possible that a country that is not recognized by everyone will be accepted, but they say that this does not prejudice the bilateral relations of certain member states with that country. I do not believe that more countries will recognize Kosovo after that, I simply believe that the situation will remain the same. What is important is that the report refers to both the Ohrid Agreement and the Brussels Agreement and the negotiations, in this way they are saying that Kosovo will be able to continue its accession to the EU by being admitted to the SE. It’s all somehow tied together when you read the report – there’s a bigger picture.”
However, he pointed out that the report is clear and leaves no doubt.
“What is most important for viewers is that at the beginning of the report, in the first sentence, it is written that Kosovo’s application for membership in the Council of Europe should be met. So that is the conclusion, it is very clear and leaves no doubt as to what is recommended,” he concluded.
