COVID-19 Limits Family Visits for Kosovo War Defendants

The Hague-based Kosovo Specialist Chambers told BIRN that because of the continuing pandemic, it is restricting visits by relatives to former Kosovo Liberation Army guerrilla leaders who are awaiting trial at its detention centre.

Instead of in-person visits, it is offering video visits, phone calls and correspondence in an attempt to protect the suspects and people who work at the detention centre from COVID-19.

However, some people close to the accused have expressed dissatisfaction with the restrictions.

Artan Behrami, a former adviser to ex-President Hashim Thaci, who is among those awaiting trial for wartime crimes, complained that the policy is repressive.

"It's not Guantanamo Bay, nor the Pokrov prison where [Russian opposition leader Alexey] Navalny is being held," Behrami, who now runs the Demokracia news website, wrote on Twitter.

"The Kosovo Specialist Chambers Detention Centre is the only place in Europe where family visits are prohibited, in violation of EU & CoE [Council of Europe] standards," he added.

The Specialist Chambers told BIRN in a written answer that they are implementing proportionate measures, based on medical advice, "to protect the health of detainees and others in the Detention Facilities".

"Based on this advice, in-person visits with family members and other personal visitors in the Detention Facilities are temporarily restricted. At all times the Kosovo Specialist Chambers has in mind the health and well-being of the individuals in the Detention Facility and bases its policies on current medical advice," the Specialist Chambers said.

"We understand that for the detainees and their families the resumption of in-person visits is of paramount importance. With this in mind, these...