BIK laws in prisons, not enough for a doordialization

A memorandum between the Ministry of Justice of the Government of Kosovo and the Islamic Community of Kosovo, for the speeches of representatives of the latter in Kosovo prisons, had been intended to influence the doorwork of persons convicted of terrorism and violent religious extremism.

Rexhep Lushta, imam within the framework of the Islamic Community of Kosovo, who has held speeches in two of Kosovo prisons, says the Kosovo Ministry of Justice and Islamic Community project has not only targeted a group of prisoners, but it has involved all prisoners, regardless of what they have done. According to him, fortunately, by the time the agreement was made, there have been several individuals in Kosovo's prisons who have been accused of terrorism, either for direct participation in the war grounds in Syria or even for those who have supported it.

Lushta says she has held lectures at the Dubrava prison and in northern Mitrovica.

Subtitles were of volunteer nature, not mandatory. However, the prosperity has been there for all those boys who have been in the Dubrava prison, without hesitation, who have welcomed such an action. Normally, none of them feel guilty about the deeds they are loaded with. But, anyway, I don't think they feel they're radicalized people. But, however, in our speeches, with our advice, with the cooperation we've had with them, I think it's brought fruit, and I think those guys, when they get out of there, will only be more useful to society”, Lushta said.

Back Balaj from the Kosovar Centre for Security Studies, says that despite the beneficial effects it can produce BIK representatives' lectures in prisons, they are insufficient for rehabilitation and resocialisation of radicalised persons.

In principle, this program is adequate for rehabilitation of these people. But, according to information we have, some of them have refused to be part of this project. Therefore, the Government of Kosovo, in co-operation with the Islamic Community, must find new mechanisms so that they can get these people into the rehabilitation process, through those mechanisms and not do actions just to do, in their” activities, Balaj said.

Ismail Hasani, professor of Religious Sociology, estimates that the Justice and BIK Ministry project is good in the institutional principle. But, according to him, in the redeployment and rehabilitation of convicts for terrorism and radicalism, there have been steps of error, because, as he says, part of the body of lectures, councils, conversations and contacts has had to be other expert profiles.

For one thing, sociologists, social workers, especially clinical profile psychologists, since they would be completely marked by other effects. Those suffering punishment have (in foreign wars) gone away, except on the basis of strong religious conviction. The philosophy of approach to this problem should completely change if we want to write progress” within corrective centres, Hasani said.

However, Lushta says there have been no cases in the prison where she legalised. More than that, he says, speeches have worked.

I think so. However, it may have been better that the Government of Kosovo, instead of detaining these boys, creating or opening open-type rehabilitation centers where these boys will be able to pursue instruction and education. But, at the same time, it was better that through psycho-Social, educational programs or even through different forms of commitment, employment, these boys' rehabilitation. It's not enough to communicate with these guys just this way, behind the bars. What needs to be done, though, is that these boys are given the opportunity to re-socialize them in the society”, Lushta said.

Meanwhile, Balaj says mechanisms used for the rehabilitation and resocialisation of persons convicted of terrorism, radicalism and religious extremism are not unique, but the same ones used for all prisoners.

These “people who are convicted of acts related to terrorism, some of them also attend education in schools that are within corrective institutions. They also consult psychologists within corrective institutions. But I don't have any information that has developed any software, except BIK speeches only for these people. It means, they're the same mechanisms that exist for other prisoners”, Balaj said.

He has added that there is not enough information about who those psychologists and sociologists are working with the convicts for acts that connect to terrorism and there is no detailed study of what the results of that commitment are.

And Professor Ishmael says that the problem is harder because those in the suffering of prison cannot be sent out to work with them. For this reason, he says, profile professionals must work with them specifically. But, however, according to him, Kosovo institutions should initially work with persons under surveillance, in domestic care or prison.

I think our institutions should first work with these people who are different categories. Meanwhile, in correctional centers, especially in high - security prison, professional people and people who know the techniques of the integrating school, American school, and German school should be sent to pros. I don't know about the Corps of these professionals, including sociologists and psychologists, having had lessons of these schools, where they completed their” studies, Ismajli said.

On the other hand, despite Radio Free Europe's insistence on receiving answers from the Justice Ministry regarding this problem, the latter's officials have not responded.

Since 2012, when conflict had begun in Syria, some 400 citizens of Kosovo, men, women, and children have traveled to Syria.

Fighting side by side with terrorist organisations, the militant group Islamic State (IS), respectively, has killed more than 70 Kosovo citizens.

Those who have managed to return to Kosovo have faced judicial processes. Some of these people are serving sentences, while investigating are 32 women who returned in April from Kosovo authorities. /rel/