Smrekonica prisoners with demands for state leaders

A group of prisoners at the Smreconica Correcting Centre, through a public letter to heads of state and responsible security institutions, has listed a series of requests, praising that during the time of pandemic, society has generally been discriminated against.

In the letter, the public, these prisoners, have shown how they are having a hard time since the Kosovo show of Covid-19.

We prisoners have overcome this situation by not seeing family members for long periods of time, and not being around them in their difficult moments. Some of us have also lost our loved ones, without having a chance to meet for the last time”, are said in the letter of prisoners at the Smreconica corrective Centre.

This is full letter without interference:

Request

Pointed: Vjosa Osmani-Sadriu, president of the Republic of Kosovo

Mr. Albin Kurti, Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo

Mrs. Albulen Haxhiu, Justice Minister

For your information: Nehat Thaci, Director of Kosovo Correcting Service

Mr. Gevdet Maqastena, Director of the Smreconica Correcting Centre

Dear Mrs. Haxhiu,

From the beginning of the pandemic situation in Kosovo, all the time we are the only category that we have been discredited as part of the Society. We are the only category of problems that are not discussed in the media, there is no discussion in television debates, and complaints that are not even taken into account.

We prisoners have overcome this situation by not seeing family members for long periods of time, and not being around them in their difficult times. Some of us, and we lost our loved ones, without having a chance to meet for the last time. Not enough of this has further made it difficult for us to deny our right to free on bail from the parole panel, the lack of political will, laws and sublegal acts, not to change the Law on Criminal Sanctions, and to deny the right to benefit the benefits of the benefits of the Republic of Kosovo Constitution, such as the pardoning of the president, and especially the law on the subject that has now been required.

As a group of prisoners at the Smreconica corrective Centre, thanking the staff of the Kosovo Correcting Service first and at the same time the Ministry of Justice for their work and contribution, as well as for the care they have been trying to show over the past few months, we beg you to share a few moments to read this letter with the ongoing complaints and information and jointly review it:

1. Condition Freedom Panel

The Convention Freedom panel, why independent body in decision-making, often does not act fair to inmates who meet the parole criteria and use double standards by rejecting convicts' demands for a certain time, rejections that have nullified reasoning even though reports of corrective Institution professionals clearly indicate that the convict has arrived to be recoup and has reached the goal of punishment. All the high-profile documents are existing documents you can find at the Correcting Institution and the Kosovo Judicial Council. By means of this, all the work and contribution of the USKK social workers and staff working closely with us and estimates are done all the time. Respiteing our demands is usually based on some provisions of Article 14, par.1, points:

1.1.

(for which we are already punished once by the competent court)

While for other criteria that are required to meet, the criteria that most of the time are met by prisoners and can easily be testified to by reports of the correct body staff, and the same we believe should be taken for basis during the review of parole requirements, as the Law of the Republic of Kosovo states:

1.2 Past criminal history; é 1.3 Description of the person convicted of the crime; 1,4 A person's attitude condemned to the victim; a further 1.5 Good behavior during detention; 1.6 psychiatric and psychological conditions, 1.7 physical states; 1.8 Social History; 1.9 convicted plans after release 1.10pm of control and assistance from the Proving Service.

Since we convicts and even our family members have no right to the decisions of the parole panel, we beg you to make a reform of the panel. We urge you to review once again all the requests refused for parole to be convinced that the parole panel works selectively, with purposes only for certain persons, and as a practice constantly uses the refusal of multiple, extended and unfair demands.

2. The Law on Amnesty

The law on Amnesty has not been applied in Kosovo since 2013 and then only for certain categories. We believe there should be a rule/standard for Amnesty from the Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo, where more prisoners (e.g. will benefit. General Amnist, with cʹrast it can be taken as a model and a practice Albania case. We beg you to divide some time for the adoption of the Law for Amnesty, since Aminstia is our right which is guaranteed with the Constitution of the Republic of Kosovo. Remember that Kosovo is the last country in the region in the field of forgiveness and amnesty.

3. Benoffions of the Condemned

We convicts are not yet clear from the state what we benefit from good behavior during the detention. Criminals working and performing a lot of work and duties every day within the correct institutions even knowing they have no additional benefits. The right to the exploitation of weekends and other products was denied with the change of the Law on Execution of Criminal Sanctions. We beg you to define the benefits that are won by good conduct during holding the sentence, (marking weekend days and calculating the punishment to become 90 days a year is a very good example to use), for convicts who meet conditions and criteria. We believe that in this way there will be more convicts motivated for good jobs and behavior, and you would clearly facilitate the staff's work of corrective institutions.

4. The President's Forgiveness

In many cases, the number of apologys to the president amount to up to 600 or 700 requests. These demands may benefit most from up to 10 convicts as a symbol and selection number. That makes most of the convicts deny it. We're waiting for Mrs. Presidents to exploit its constitutional right and examine more often and the more requests for forgiveness within the year, without specific purposes and not just for certain individuals, as has been so far.

We beg you to take a few moments to read this letter and to see that our requests are really serious. We hope that soon we will be offered the opportunity to benefit more from our behavior and not be discouraged as we are. Let us not take the punishment from you, but let us take advantage of your mercy. It is not right for us to continue living within corrective institutions, initially denying us the rights that are guaranteed by the Constitution. I think you know that the way we live inside of us

The corrective institution and the way we will continue living after the completion of the sentence is fully up to you public authorities responsible.

We hope that as those deprived of freedom, we will be given an opportunity to take advantage of the above - mentioned (Condition, Forgiveness of President or Amnesty) and we expect that you too will contribute to the process of our resocialisation being successful and our integration into society becoming normal.

Thank you for the time and we're waiting for your answer!

Honestly,

Prisoners of the Correcting Center, Smreconica

* Along with this letter, find attached even the letter with the signatures of the convicts from whom this request comes.