Today, Kosovo Correctional Service and Danish Prison and Probation Service have signed the Cooperation Agreement on the use of correctional facility in Gjilan. This marks another milestone for the project of receiving convicted foreigners in Denmark into Kosova.

With this just singed Agreement, Kosovo Correctional Service and Danish Prison and Probation Service, reached an understanding on a series of aspects, related to the practical implementation of specific administrative tasks of the prison in Gjilan.

The Cooperation Agreement largely concerns how the daily operations should be handled, and is therefore a crucial step toward putting the prison into use.

The parties have agreed on several aspects of prison’s operation to ensure that conditions fundamentally correspond to those in Danish prisons. This includes determining the number of prison officers, specifying requirements of prison’s infrastructure, regulations on transferring and transportation of inmates, as well as the inmates’ activities, rights and obligations.

The Minister of Justice of Kosova, Albulena Haxhiu, stated:

– “Today, we confirm reaching the Technical Agreement, deriving from the ratification of the Treaty between the Republic of Kosova and the Kingdom of Denmark, for renting the place of correctional institution in Gjilan.

This is a very important step towards succesful impelemetation of this Treaty and it is a proof of commitments of both countries to a sustainable and effective cooperation in the justice aspect.

Through this, the Republic of Kosovo not just it deepens the partnership with the Kingdom of Denmark, but also benefits from investments and advanced standards of Danish Correctional System, that will contribute on improving the conditions of our correctional institutions..”

The Minister of Justice of Denmark, Peter Hummelgaard, stated:

-It is truly gratifying that the cooperation agreement between the authorities of the two countries has now been signed. To me, this mark yet another milestone on the path toward being able to send foreign convicts sentenced to deportation to Kosovo. We have reached this point thanks to the excellent cooperation with the Kosovars. This major and groundbreaking project is a top priority for me, and it is the continued strong cooperation between the countries that will carry the project to success.

General information

This Cooperation Agreement includes, among other things, new time deadlines for prison renovation, determining that the prison is expected to be operational on 1st of April, 2027.

The Cooperation Agreement appendixes are expected to be expanded in a later phase with more detailed instructions on different issues, such as inmate representatives, procedures for visits and the prison commissary.