Five correctional Mitrovica prison officials infected with coronary, director gives details

Kosovo prison director Nehat Thaci has confirmed this.

He has said two of the officials had been at the wedding held in Zvecan, which was reportedly held after the country declared emergency situation.

After two of the officials showed symptoms, the correctional service arranged to be analysed by over 20 corrective service officials with whom these two affected are believed to have contact, of which 5 turned positive”, Thaci said at KTV.

Director Thaci has also said that there are no cases of symptoms or confirmed and that medical visits to all prisons in the country have intensified. Pandemia has obviously affected the pace of life within prisons, and now when family visits have stopped, inmates are communicating only by phone and via the Skype internet platform.

“Phone calls have been restricted as they are now limitless, and we're getting organized that depending on the requirements, we can have conversations through Skype all prisoners”, said director Thaci.

Asked whether there are requests to suspend the sentence for certain cases, Thaci stated that almost all prisons have accepted petitions from prisoners trying to suspend sentences these days, but that such a thing is not possible with legislation in force.

The corrective service has addressed at least 3 requests to courts to release some chronically ill at this time, but the response from courts has been negative, and because laws in power do not preparaise suspension or pardon in such situations”, Thaci stressed.

He has said the biggest risk is for patients who are subject to dyalisis and who are forced to be carried from Dubrava prison to Peja Hospital several times a week.

However, Thaci has said that even within the prison they have been reorganized serving food in rooms and increasing the level of cleanliness.