Closure of the Detention Center in Gjilan Begins, Facility to Be Used Under Agreement with Denmark

The process of closing the Detention Center in Gjilan has begun, while the people who had been held there are being transferred to other correctional institutions, the Chamber of Advocates announced after receiving notification from the Kosovo Correctional Service.

According to it, the facility in Gjilan will be used as part of the agreement concerning prisoners from the Kingdom of Denmark.

“The Kosovo Chamber of Advocates has been officially informed by the Kosovo Correctional Service that the process of closing the Detention Center in Gjilan has begun, as part of the implementation of the treaty between the Republic of Kosovo and the Kingdom of Denmark on the use of this facility for the execution of sentences handed down by the Danish authorities. According to the official notice, the gradual transfer of persons deprived of liberty from the Detention Center in Gjilan to other correctional institutions has already begun, a process that will be carried out in phases, in line with security assessments, accommodation capacities and the operational needs of the Kosovo Correctional Service,” the statement said.

The Chamber of Advocates clarified that it is issuing this notice in order to inform the legal community in a timely manner and to help facilitate communication with clients during the transition period.

In 2022, Kosovo and Denmark signed a 10-year agreement on the transfer of prisoners from the Nordic state. The agreement stipulates that Denmark will rent 300 prison cells in Gjilan, while Kosovo will benefit by more than 200 million euros.

Also under the agreement, prisoners convicted of serious crimes, with sentences of more than 10 years, as well as people with mental health problems, will not be transferred to Kosovo.

This plan has faced opposition in Denmark and was also suspended for a period following claims of human rights violations.