The German Embassy in Pristina told Radio Free Europe on Wednesday that it feels "deeply concerned" about the changes that the Kosovo Assembly made the day before to the Law on the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague.
Kosovo lawmakers amended the law to limit the powers of the Hague-based court during a vote shortly before midnight on Tuesday.
German Embassy Spokesperson, Catalina Heine, said that the Kosovo Specialist Chambers are an independent judicial institution and that their independence cannot be compromised.
"The Kosovo Specialist Chambers are an independent judicial institution and were established under Kosovo law and supported by the Constitution of Kosovo. Their purpose is to ensure accountability and justice for victims from all communities in Kosovo. To fulfill this goal, their independence must be fully respected," the response states.
The embassy also emphasized that it supports the EU's position against changes to this law.
Earlier, the European Union said that these changes conflict with Kosovo's international obligations to the bloc.
"Ne i bëjmë thirrje Kosovës që t'u përmbahet detyrimeve të saj ndërkombëtare për të garantuar pavarësinë gjyqësore të Dhomave të Specializuara të Kosovës, si dhe zotimit për të siguruar llogaridhënie dhe për t'u dhënë drejtësi viktimave dhe familjeve të tyre nga të gjitha komunitetet në Kosovë", deklaroi zëdhënësi i BE-së, Christian Wiegand.
Përparim Gruda, zyrtari i partisë kryesore opozitare e cila i inicioi ndryshimet në ligj, Partia Demokratike e Kosovës, nguli këmbë se Kosova “nuk po i shkel" detyrimet e veta ndërkombëtare.
The approved amendments narrow the jurisdiction of the Special Court in terms of offenses, time and territory, limit the sentence to 15 years and provide for the transfer of cases or sentences to Kosovo.
These changes come after on September 16, this court sentenced four former leaders of the Kosovo Liberation Army, Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, Jakup Krasniqi and Rexhep Selimi, to a total of 81 years in prison for war crimes during the last war in Kosovo.
All four have denied the charges and have said they will appeal to the Court of Appeal.
The legal basis for the establishment of the Specialist Chambers is the 2014 exchange of letters between the then President of Kosovo, Atifete Jahjaga, and the EU High Representative, Catherine Ashton.
Among the commitments that Kosovo made at the time was to consult with the EU on any initiative to change laws that have an impact on the court's mandate, or on judicial procedures stemming from investigations by the Special Investigative Task Force (SITF).
Kosovo also pledged to continue the work of the Specialist Chambers and the Specialist Prosecutor's Office until the completion of the relevant investigations and procedures.
The chambers are based in The Hague and are composed of foreign judges and prosecutors, although they are part of the Kosovo judicial system.
The European Union is their main financial supporter, with nearly 400 million euros since its establishment.