Specialist Chambers clarify legal basis: detainees may travel to Kosovo for humanitarian reasons

The Kosovo Specialist Chambers have clarified that this institution’s applicable legislation allows persons in detention to submit requests for visits to Kosovo when there are compelling humanitarian grounds.

In a statement made public on Monday, the institution emphasized that the regulation for such cases was approved by the judges in line with international human rights standards, including Article 5 of the European Convention on Human Rights and the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners.

According to the statement, “So far, the judges of the Specialist Chambers have authorized 14 such visits to Kosovo for detainees, while their organization and management have been handled by the court itself.”

According to the clarification, these visits are approved in special humanitarian circumstances, such as cases when a relative is seriously ill or when the detainee must attend funeral ceremonies and stay with family following the loss of a relative.

The Specialist Chambers also announced that, in the case of former president Hashim Thaçi, the judges have authorized four such visits to Kosovo on humanitarian grounds.

These clarifications, according to the institution, were provided in relation to the procedures and legal basis that make temporary visits by detainees to Kosovo possible.