The Serbs and non-Albanians detainees of the new prison complex in Grdovac near Podujevo have been in near total isolation for four months without any contact with the outside world – a lawyer from North Mitrovica, Ljubomir Pantovic said at a press conference in Zvecan. The measure came into force after police officers from the north of Kosovo, who were arrested in May during the Kosovo Police action against corruption, organized crime and a smuggling network, were brought to this facility. For the time being, it is unknown whether this measure also applies to Albanian detainees housed in a separate part of this prison.
Pantovic said that the detainees at the Grdovac prison near Podujevo, including three of his clients – two Serb war crimes suspects and one police officer arrested during the Kosovo police action in late May – had no objection to prison conditions until four months ago.
According to Pantovic, however, the situation drastically changed at the beginning of June, immediately after the police officers arrested during the May police action were detained in this facility.
„All of them – Serbs and non-Albanians are in almost complete isolation now,“ he underlined, adding:
„They are alone in a cell twenty-two hours a day. They have no contact with the outside world, as if they were in solitary confinement. The only thing they have is 2 hours of joint yard time.“
High-security prison
Pantovic explained that the prison complex near Podujevo started operating four years ago and that it was built according to the highest European standards. It is a high-security prison because it houses the perpetrators of the most serious crimes.
The detainees also confirmed to Pantovic that the conditions were good, that the prison staff treated them well, and that, apart from this measure, they had not had any complaints for four months.
The prison has a wing with only Albanian prisoners and a wing with only Serb prisoners, as well as a wing with both Serb and Albanian prisoners.
Pantovic, who is a longtime lawyer, said that he sees „no reason for this isolation.“
„Usually, detainees who violated prison rules are placed in isolation, but what I heard from these people was that none of them violated the prison regime or the rules,“ he said.
Pantovic claims that the introduction of this measure is a violation of the law because „it is a rule that two detainees have to be placed in one cell“.
He could not confirm whether the measure also applies to detainees in the prison sector housing Albanians, as Pantovic’s clients are housed in the prison sector for Serbs and non-Albanians.
„I asked them (his clients) whether this measure applies to the detainees of other nationalities. They told me they did not know because they are separated – Serbs are in one block, Albanians in the other,“ he stressed, adding that they told him there was a possibility that the measure applies to everyone.
The four month-long problem with no solution despite demands
The problem, which has been going on for four months, has not yet been resolved, although we have addressed the prison administration, the Ombudsman who visits them occasionally, and representatives of human rights NGOs – Pantovic said.
The prison officials told the detainees that this measure is in compliance with internal regulations of the Kosovo Correctional Service.
Pantovic also announced that he would personally send a request to the Prison Managing Director and the Director of the Kosovo Correctional Service so that this situation is reviewed and reinstated.
This prison houses a number of police officers who were arrested during a special operation by the Kosovo Police Special Unit in northern Kosovo against “corruption, organized crime and the smuggling network” – as Kosovo police said at the time.
In the early morning hours on May 28th, special units of the Kosovo Police conducted an arrest action in four municipalities in the north of Kosovo, as well as in three municipalities in the south. During the action, 19 police officers and 10 civilians were arrested on suspicion of involvement in organized crime groups, abuse of office, bribery and goods trafficking.
The Kosovo Police action continued in the following days, when several more Kosovo Police officers were arrested.
Preuzimanje i objavljivanje tekstova sa portala KoSSev nije dozvoljeno bez navođenja izvora. Hvala na poštovanju etike novinarske profesije.
