The Head of the OSCE Presence in Albania, Ambassador Michel Tarran, met today with the newly appointed Director General of Prisons, Adriatik Kupi, to congratulate him on his appointment, reaffirm the Presence's support for Albania's penitentiary reforms and discuss future co-operation.
The Presence's contribution to the penitentiary system over the years includes: legislative and policy support; capacity building of prison staff; support for the establishment of the Probation Service; work on preventing and countering violent extremism and radicalization that lead to terrorism; support to the Special Regime in high security prisons; and the establishment of Albania's first multidisciplinary Executive Master's Programme in Criminology at Tirana University.
The discussion also addressed the importance of reducing excessive use of pre-trial detention. Ambassador Tarran welcomed the High Court's May decision, which reaffirmed that pre-trial detention should remain an exceptional measure, justified only through concrete, individualized and reviewable reasoning.
"The OSCE Presence in Albania remains ready to support the General Directorate of Prisons in advancing reforms that contribute to a more effective, humane and modern penitentiary system. Our shared objective is a system that safeguards human rights, enhances public security and supports the successful reintegration of offenders into society," he said.
The Presence will continue supporting the penitentiary reform in 2026 through activities focused on promoting access to justice, strengthening correctional capacities, expanding alternatives to detention and safeguarding human rights.
