The settlement, initially signed in 2021, solely grew to become a treaty earlier this yr when it was accredited by Kosovo’s parliament.
Danish Justice Minister Peter Hummelgaard has visited a detention middle in southeastern Kosovo the place his nation plans to ship as much as 300 prisoners to ease overcrowding within the Danish jail system.
Speaking alongside his Kosovar counterpart Albulena Haxhiu, Hummelgaard praised what he referred to as the “fruitful cooperation” between the 2 nations.
“Now we’ve got come to Kosovo to want assist in utilizing extra capability in Kosovan prisons and detention services. And it is a nice assist for Denmark at a time when we’ve got a really giant jail and probation companies , underneath lots of stress.
The settlement, initially signed in 2021, solely grew to become a treaty earlier this yr when it was accredited by Kosovo’s parliament.
In the yr the pact was signed, official statistics acknowledged that Denmark’s jail inhabitants had grown by 19% since 2015, reaching greater than 4,000 inmates initially of 2021 and exceeding 100% capability.
Pristina will hire 300 cells in Copenhagen’s Gjilan jail, which shall be liable for renovation and modernization work to deliver the power consistent with Danish requirements in a deal price 15 million euros a yr for Kosovo.
The cells in Kosovo will solely be used for international residents convicted of crimes in Denmark who have been imagined to be deported after serving their sentences.
Kosovo jail director Ismail Dibrani mentioned prisoners despatched from Denmark can have the chance to work on the Gjilan middle after investments from Denmark have been made.
“Several laboratories shall be constructed, laboratories that shall be used for the employment of prisoners, this middle is meant for pre-prisoners, when this middle is utilized by the Danish state, clearly there shall be extra jobs, areas the place prisoners can have the ‘alternative to work And, for all the mission, the contract was signed in accordance with the wants and necessities of the Danish state,’ he mentioned.
But the choice to switch the detainees to the Kosovo jail has raised issues amongst human rights teams.
“There have been credible allegations of abuse up to now. That doesn’t suggest this can occur (in Kosovo), however there’s undoubtedly a higher threat than if they’d been in a Danish jail,” mentioned Therese Rytter, the lawyer director by the Danish human rights group, Dignity.
The U.S. State Department mentioned in a 2023 report that whereas Kosovo’s prisons met some worldwide requirements, violence amongst prisoners, corruption and poor remedy for prisoners with psychological disabilities have been persistent issues.
And the United Nations Committee Against Torture mentioned in a report the identical yr that it was involved about detainees’ entry to well being care and household visits.
The Denmark-Kosovo deal is much like one signed final yr between Albania and the United Kingdom, by which tons of of Albanian prisoners have been despatched to prisons of their dwelling nation in change for British help in modernizing the Albanian jail system.
