Minister Tahiri: 20 years of Kosovo Correctional Service, commitment to law and order

At the beginning of the ceremony, a moment of silence was held to pay tribute to the victims of the earthquake in Albania.

“Alongside the police, the Correctional Service has been one of the first pillars of security in post-war Kosovo. It is one of the first institutions of the new democratic mindset, which respects human rights and ensures order by implementing standards of integrity”, said Minister Tahiri.

According to Minister Tahiri, this jubilee found the Correctional Service more complete than ever, thus competing with counterpart institutions in the region. “It is 20 years of journey, more than the vast majority of other institutions in the country; 20 years of commitment to change the mindset of executing criminal sanctions from what we have had in the past; 20 years of challenges, but determination, to build a complete success story of the correctional system that we have today”, Tahiri declared.

He said that the internal infrastructure of the KCS has improved over the past two years, while also mentioning co-operation with partners, in particular the justice mechanisms of the EU and the United States of America.

Present at the ceremony was also the Prime Minister, Ramush Haradinaj, who thanked the members of the Correctional Service for their professional engagement.

“I express my gratitude on behalf of the Government of Kosovo for the truly good and professional engagement of all of you in your daily work, which is a challenging job but also a matter of high importance to our country, our society, law and order,” said Prime Minister Haradinaj.

On the other hand, the General Director of the Kosovo Correctional Service, Nehat Thaçi, said that today, 20 years after its establishment, the KCS has created living conditions for prisoners according to international standards.

“Thanks to the support of the Government and international institutions as well as the work and dedication of all officials, today the infrastructure in all Correctional Institutions is almost complete,” said Thaçi.

At the end of the ceremony, certificates were awarded to all those who have contributed to the development and functioning of the Kosovo Correctional Service during these 20 years.