It was the CPT's fifth visit on the basis of an agreement signed in 2004 between the Council of Europe and the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK).
In the course of the visit, the delegation examined the treatment, conditions of detention and safeguards afforded to persons deprived of their liberty by the police and the situation of persons held in several prisons. Particular attention was paid to the measures taken by the relevant authorities to implement various recommendations made by the Committee after the previous visit, carried out in 2020.
The delegation held consultations with Peter N. Due, Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations in Kosovo and Head of the United Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), Milbert Dongjoon Shin, Deputy Special Representative, Giovanni Pietro Barbano, Head of the European Union Rule of Law Mission (EULEX), Emily Rakhorst, Deputy Head of EULEX, Gerard McGurk, Head of the OSCE Mission, and Jarmo Helppikangas Head of Rule of Law, Legal and Human Rights Office of the EU Special Representative.
The delegation also held meetings with Xhelal Sveçla, Minister of Internal Affairs, Genc Metaj, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Gazmend Hoxha, Director General of the Police, Ismail Dibrani, Director General of Correctional Service, Arsim Berisha, Deputy Minister of Health, Milazim Gjocaj, Head of the Prison Health Department at the Ministry of Health, and Kushtrim Hodaj, Executive Director of the Police Inspectorate.
The delegation also met Shqipe Ibraj Mala, Head of the National Preventive Mechanism against Torture, and representatives of several non-governmental organisations active in areas of concern to the CPT.
At the end of the visit, the delegation presented its preliminary findings to the relevant authorities.
The visit was carried out by the following members of the CPT:
- Victor Zaharia (Head of delegation)
- Christopher Cremona
- Eleana Fitidou
- Slava Novak
- Helena Papa.
They were supported by Petr Hnátík, Aikaterini Lazana and Mahir Mushteidzada of the CPT Secretariat, and assisted by an expert, Veronica Pimenoff, psychiatrist, former Head of Department at Helsinki University Psychiatric Hospital (Finland).
The delegation visited the following places of deprivation of liberty:
Police establishments
- Istog/Istok Police Detention Centre
- Leposaviq/Leposavić Police Detention Centre
- Lipjan/Lipljan Police Detention Centre
- Mitrovicë/Mitrovica North Police Station
- Pejë/Peć Police Station
- Prishtinë/Priština Police Detention Centre
- Prizren Police Detention Centre
Prison establishments
- Dubrava Correctional Centre
- Lipjan/Lipljan Correctional Centre for Juveniles
- Lipjan/Lipljan Correctional Centre for Women
- Mitrovica/Mitrovicë Detention Centre
- Pejë/Peć Detention Centre
- Prizren Detention Centre
The delegation also carried out a targeted visit to Prishtinë/Priština Detention Centre to interview newly admitted remand prisoners.
