Kosovo gets stuck in weapons legalisation, refers to 2015 figures

Kosovo is stuck in weapons legalisation. In March of last year, the Ministry of Internal Affairs has begun assessing the law, but it is still not known how far this process has gone in terms of new weapons legalisation policies. Since 2015 there has been no new research into the number of illegal weapons that are in the state of Kosovo, but based on those data, in our country there are about 250 thousand illegal weapons in the hands of citizens.

Proposal of legal changes for weapons and punishment measures has prompted a campaign launched in 2019 for legalising arms without permission in Kosovo to yield expected results.

In March of last year, the Ministry of Internal Affairs said it has begun assessing the law that has included a group consisting of relevant institutions.

This group would come up with new policies of drafting and legalisation. But the extent of this process is not known. The minister did not answer RTK's questions on the matter.

Since 2015 there has been no new investigation into the number of illegal weapons that are in the state of Kosovo. Based on that data, there are 250 thousand illegal weapons in our country in the hands of citizens, which are of great concern to the country's institutions. Meanwhile, about 1,000 and 500 of them are confiscated annually by Kosovo Police.

Security director Nuredin Ibishi thinks citizens are not encouraged by relevant institutions to legalise weapons.

“We also cheated on us, local institutions have been supporting us, not to teach it, but the legalisation itself has been in vain, without a proper consultation, without a broad approach to citizens and a reward system for citizens, as has happened in countries in the region, or countries of the former Yugoslavia, following bloody war”, he said.

And all these illegal gunkeepers, for Ibishi, get extremely low sentences for this crime.

When we talk about the consequences, they're minimal in terms of acts, which are directly in the provisions of the penal code without permission, because each time they are punished with minimal punishment, and that makes them have the courage to use the weapon, to keep it with them, and the total danger is great for all citizens”, Ibishi has declared it to RTK.

The penalty for illegal possession is determined under the Kosovo Criminal Code, where fines of up to 7,500 euros are presented. In addition, prison sentences of up to five years for illegal possession are provided.

Based on the Criminal Code, two to ten years in prison is also provided for illegal possession of four or more guns or more than 400 bullets.