The main cause of this situation remains the improper functioning of the air conditioning system. According to the Kosovo Judicial Council, fully fixing the problem requires major expenditure, KosovaPress reports.

The head of the Workers’ Union at the Basic Court in Pristina, Besim Spahiu, has also reacted to the issue, telling KosovaPress that he has held meetings with the court management, the secretariat and the Kosovo Judicial Council.

According to him, following the requests submitted, only a minor intervention has been made to the air conditioning system.

“On June 10, I sent a written request to the court management, the secretariat and the Judicial Council regarding the lack of air conditioning, but I received no response from them, while on the 17th I went to the Judicial Council to seek clarification about the problem, where I met with the chair of the council and was informed that they had engaged a team to address the air conditioning problem, and they promised me that within 20 days the air conditioning would be fixed to a considerable extent, since a full repair requires time and budget funds, which they currently do not have available. On June 25, we had a small repair to the air conditioning. As union chair, on July 1 I submitted an official request to the court management and the KJC, seeking a temporary reduction in working hours. I welcome the KJC’s decision, and we expect these measures to be implemented as soon as possible. So far, I have not received any official notification regarding this decision,” Spahiu said.

Lawyer Arbër Jashari also spoke about the practical consequences this situation is causing.

He said that this week, a hearing scheduled to last the entire day in the juvenile department could not continue because of the harsh conditions in the courtroom, and one of the parties even fainted. As a result, the hearing was postponed to another day.

Jashari also said that the Special Department of the Basic Court in Pristina has postponed almost all hearings considered non-urgent.

According to him, the postponement of hearings directly affects the rights of parties in criminal proceedings and results in violations of those rights.

“As recently as this week, we had a hearing that was scheduled to be held all day in the juvenile department, but by midday it was impossible to remain in those courtrooms. It is not easy, whether in advocacy or in following court hearings, it requires a great deal of concentration, for us to be comfortable at all times, and the high temperatures make it impossible for the brain to function. As I said, during the afternoon session, one of the parties nearly fainted because of the high temperatures; that building also has ventilation problems, the oxygen level in those facilities is lower than it should be… The Special Department of the Basic Court has postponed almost all hearings that are not urgent… The postponement of hearings directly affects the rights of parties in criminal proceedings. Every time a hearing is postponed, someone’s rights are violated — the rights of defendants when they are in pretrial detention, and the rights of the injured party,” Jashari said.

Meanwhile, the media spokesperson for the Basic Court in Pristina, Mirlinda Gashi, said in a written statement that an improvement has recently been noticed in the temperature situation in the courtrooms and that, for now, the court does not consider it necessary to reduce or suspend its work.

“The Basic Court in Pristina is aware of the decision of the Kosovo Judicial Council, by which court presidents are authorized to take measures to reduce or suspend work if the need arises as a result of high temperatures. However, at the Palace of Justice, during the last two days, an improvement in conditions has been observed with regard to temperatures in the working premises, namely the air conditioning system has started to function. Under these circumstances, the Court currently does not consider it reasonable to take measures to reduce or suspend work. Nevertheless, the Court will continuously monitor the situation and, if necessary, will implement the measures set out in the decision of the Kosovo Judicial Council, with the aim of protecting the health and safety of judges, administrative staff and the parties,” the response said.

On Monday, the Kosovo Judicial Council authorized the presidents of the Supreme, Appeals, Administrative, Commercial and Basic courts in Pristina to take measures due to the high temperatures prevailing at the Palace of Justice.

Going forward, the decision on reducing or suspending work remains in the hands of the court presidents operating in the Palace of Justice, depending on their assessment.

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He made these remarks at a press conference, where he spoke about the latest operations undertaken by this Prosecutor’s Office. According to information made public, assets worth 1 million euros have been seized as part of a money laundering network involving proceeds obtained from drug trafficking.

Isufaj: The Special Prosecutor’s Office will act decisively when the law is violated

“We also held an important meeting, specifically on June 30, with representatives of the authorities of Spain, France, Italy, Germany, Albania, Great Britain and Europol. They expressed satisfaction with the work of the prosecution, and we agreed to continue our joint work in the fight against organized crime. The operation carried out on June 30 of this year sends a clear message that the Special Prosecutor’s Office will act decisively, in a coordinated and sustainable manner, with other law enforcement authorities. Every blow against criminal groups is an investment in citizens’ security, the country’s economic development, as well as increasing trust in justice institutions,” Isufaj said.

Isufaj announced that this operation was carried out in cooperation with the Italian and French authorities, under the coordination of Europol and Eurojust. He explained that, as part of this case, two people were arrested in September 2025, suspected of participating in or organizing an organized criminal group and of money laundering.

Isufaj: Money earned from drugs was being laundered transnationally

“On June 30, the Kosovo Police, under the leadership of the Special Prosecutor’s Office of the Republic of Kosovo, carried out several raids as part of an operation against organized crime. This operation was conducted as part of an investigation into the transnational laundering of money derived from drug trafficking, by the Italian and French authorities, coordinated by Europol and Eurojust, and in full cooperation with the Special Prosecutor’s Office of Kosovo. As part of this case, two people were arrested in September 2025, on suspicion of committing the criminal offenses of participation in or organization of an organized criminal group and money laundering,” Isufaj said.

The chief prosecutor also spoke about several other important operations, which he said had been carried out by this institution.

Isufaj: The Special Prosecutor’s Office was part of the international operation “Switch off”

“In Operation Mega in June, three people were arrested on suspicion of the criminal offenses of financing terrorism, supplying weapons and distributing narcotics. In another operation on July 1, nine people were arrested who were suspected of the criminal offenses of money laundering, smuggling goods in co-perpetration, participation in a criminal group, and false tax declaration documents. In addition, the Special Prosecutor’s Office was part of the international operation ‘Switch off’ in January of this year, thus showing commitment in the fight against financial crime. The operation was simultaneously carried out in the United Kingdom, Spain, Italy and Romania, making it possible to dismantle an IT infrastructure that was illegally serving millions of users at the national and international level through a sophisticated information system, IPTV,” Isufaj said.

Asked about the filing of an indictment against those responsible for the massacre against the Jashari family in Prekaz, Isufaj said the investigations are nearing completion and that, once the evidence is secured, an indictment against the suspects will follow.

Isufaj: Investigations into the massacre against the Jashari family are nearing completion, indictment expected

“The investigations will be completed very soon. If we have secured sufficient evidence, then there will be an indictment. It is very sensitive and requires caution; we cannot say anything more, except that the investigations are nearing completion,” he added.

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Following this decision, it is now up to the presidents of these courts to determine, based on their own assessment, whether work should be reduced or suspended.

At today’s meeting, KJC chair Rrustem Thaçi stressed that, regardless of the presidents’ assessment, they may decide to reduce activity or suspend work until the situation improves.

“We authorize the presidents of the Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, Commercial Court, Basic Court and Administrative Court to assess the working conditions, the state of the high temperatures and, regardless of the assessment, decide on reducing work or suspending it until the situation improves,” Thaçi said.

According to him, the situation in the Palace of Justice has reached an alarming point and is intolerable.

“Since 2017 I have been part of the work at the Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court, and the situation is alarming, unacceptable, intolerable. We are no longer talking about working conditions, we are talking about people’s lives. It is our duty to ensure at least that their health does not suffer. At 11 o’clock they wonder whether they can survive until 16:00,” he said.

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During the visit, Gërvalla and her team were received by acting supervising judge Valon Hajdini, as well as judges and representatives of the branch’s administrative staff.

She said that during the meeting she was informed about the institution’s condition and performance, its caseload and efficiency in handling cases, as well as the challenges the court faces and the steps taken to reduce the number of unresolved cases.

“Justice reform is not a political promise, but a state necessity. The package of five justice reform laws, the Vetting process, and the operationalization of the State Bureau for the Verification and Confiscation of Unjustifiable Assets constitute the main pillars in building a justice system that is more accountable, more trustworthy, and fairer for the citizens of the Republic of Kosovo,” Gërvalla said.

Gërvalla further stated that the Republic of Kosovo cannot be built on impunity and cannot move forward with weak institutions.

“Justice must be strong, professional, and uncompromising toward illegality, because only in this way is citizens’ trust strengthened and the Republic itself consolidated. Justice reform has no alternative, while impunity is not an option for a state governed by the rule of law,” she said.

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As announced by the Kosovo Prosecutorial Council, the meeting discussed Gashi’s official visit to Germany, with a particular focus on the experiences and practices gained there, aimed at advancing the prosecutorial system in Kosovo and strengthening interinstitutional cooperation.

During the conversation, both sides also praised the cooperation to date between the Kosovo Prosecutorial Council and the German Embassy in Pristina, while expressing readiness to deepen the partnership in areas of mutual interest, especially in the exchange of professional experience, capacity building, and support for reform processes in the prosecutorial system.

Gashi thanked Germany for the continuous support it has provided to the justice system in Kosovo, underlining that this cooperation plays an important role in strengthening the rule of law and in the development of independent justice institutions.

Meanwhile, Ambassador Rudolph reaffirmed German support for the development and strengthening of the justice system in Kosovo. He praised the commitment of the Kosovo Prosecutorial Council to advancing reforms, raising professional standards, and expanding international cooperation, emphasizing that the partnership between the institutions of both countries remains essential for strengthening the rule of law and building an efficient, independent prosecutorial system in line with European standards.

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She highly praised the role of Medica Mondiale, describing the organization as one of the strongest voices in the world in defense of women and survivors of sexual violence used as a weapon of war.

In a post on Facebook, Gërvalla said that together with Dr. Hauser and Ms. Mirlinda Sada from Medica Gjakova, they discussed the need to combat stigma and the re-traumatization of survivors, the importance of a trauma-sensitive approach in the justice system, as well as strengthening institutional mechanisms in support of them.

Gërvalla further stressed that transitional justice cannot be considered complete without addressing trauma, without recognizing the dignity of survivors, without creating safe spaces for their testimonies, and without punishing the perpetrators of crimes.

She added that the lifelong work and dedication of Dr. Monika Hauser remain a lasting testament that the dignity of survivors, truth, and justice are not only political or legal issues, but above all human and moral obligations.

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He said that the state budget for the justice system has risen from 66 million euros in 2020 to 135.6 million euros currently, which according to him represents an increase of more than 105 percent in six years. During the same period, the minister added, 709 jobs have also been created in the justice system.

“In 2020, the state budget for the justice system was 66 million euros. Today it is 135.6 million euros, an increase of more than 105 percent in six years. During this period, 709 jobs have been added to the system,” Gogu said.

The minister also pointed out that for the 2025–2027 period, support from international partners is estimated at around 43.8 million euros.

“Support from partners for the 2025–2027 period amounts to around 43.8 million euros, an important and strategic contribution that complements the investment of the Albanian state. The model that I believe should become the standard is co-financing,” he said.

Taking justice digitization projects as an example, Gogu said that for the ICMS system (Juronix + CAMS), Sweden has provided 2.5 million euros, while the Albanian government has financed 9.6 million euros from the state budget.

“For the ICMS system (Juronix + CAMS), Sweden contributed 2.5 million euros, while the Albanian government contributed 9.6 million euros from the state budget,” he said.

According to Gogu, the European Union has supported the prosecution’s CAMS system with 7.5 million euros.

“This is partnership. This is co-financing,” Gogu said.

The minister also proposed a new method of coordination, shifting from a project-based approach to measuring concrete results for citizens.

According to him, Albania is now at a new stage of the reform, where institutions are assessed on the basis of performance, impact, and real results. “For years, the question was whether we could build the new justice institutions. Today the question is whether they are delivering the results citizens expect,” Gogu declared.

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She said that the “Sali Çekaj” award is dedicated to individuals who have made a special contribution in the field of justice in the Republic of Kosovo.

In a social media post, Gërvalla described Sali Çekaj as one of the most prominent figures in Kosovo’s history, highlighting his role as a “KLA commander, visionary politician and distinguished jurist”.

According to her, his dedication to the country’s freedom, together with his professional commitment, makes Çekaj a figure who inspires generations of jurists in Kosovo.

“The figure of Sali Çekaj, alongside that of the KLA commander and visionary politician, with unwavering dedication to the country’s freedom to the point of sacrifice at the front line, also shines as the figure of a rare jurist, courageous, sharp-minded and resolute. A figure that inspires generations upon generations of jurists in our country,” Gërvalla said.

She also stressed that this award, which bears the name of Hero Sali Çekaj, is intended to recognize individuals with a special contribution to justice, while at the same time honoring his work and legacy.

Commander Sali Çekaj, killed on April 19, 1999 in the line of duty in Koshare, as commander of Brigade 134, is regarded as one of the most distinguished strategists of the Kosovo war.

His patriotic activity had begun much earlier, both in Kosovo and in exile, from where he later returned to put on the uniform and join the war for freedom.

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