Process begins to close Gjilan Detention Center, facility to be used under agreement with Denmark

The closure of the Gjilan Detention Center has begun as part of the implementation of the agreement reached with Denmark.

The facility in question will be used for prisoners coming from the Kingdom of Denmark.

The Chamber of Advocates has announced that it has been informed by the Kosovo Correctional Service about the start of the process to close this center, as well as the relocation of the people who had been held there to other correctional institutions.

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

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

The agreement stipulates that the prisoners to be sent from Denmark to Kosovo must not have been convicted of serious crimes, must not have sentences longer than 10 years, and must not have mental health problems.

This plan has faced opposition in Denmark and was suspended for a period due to allegations of human rights violations.