Witness protection in criminal proceedings

IRZ seminar on ‘Protection of witnesses in criminal proceedings’ on 29 and 30 September 2025 in Pristina
IRZ seminar on ‘Protection of witnesses in criminal proceedings’ on 29 and 30 September 2025 in Pristina
Kosovo

At the end of September, experts from Germany and Kosovo met in Pristina to discuss current legal challenges and solutions relating to witness protection, leniency programmes and juvenile criminal proceedings.

During the intensive discussions, judges and prosecutors exchanged their expertise, questioned existing systems and jointly developed new approaches. This not only deepened the participants' understanding of the international handling of witness and defendant rights, but also contributed to improving judicial practice in Kosovo. In our opinion, this is an important step in the further training of professionals and the development of the Kosovar legal system.

We would like to express our sincere thanks not only to our co-organiser, the Kosovo Judicial Academy (KJA), but also to Prof. Dr Georg Güntge, Chief Public Prosecutor and Permanent Representative of the Attorney General of Schleswig-Holstein, and Prof. Dr Michael Gubitz, lawyer and specialist in criminal law. Their presentations provided fascinating insights into German criminal law, particularly the practical aspects of witness protection and plea bargaining. The special features of German juvenile criminal proceedings and the treatment of underage defendants were also discussed in detail.

Of course, the Kosovar participants also benefited from the experience of local experts: Mr Ali Kutllovci, judge at the Court of Appeal, and Mr Agron Qalaj, public prosecutor in the Office of the Prosecutor General of Kosovo, enriched the discussion with valuable perspectives from everyday judicial practice in Kosovo.

Vulnerable people in the penal system

Participants in the workshop ‘Dealing with and protecting vulnerable groups in detention’
Participants in the workshop ‘Dealing with and protecting vulnerable groups in detention’
Kosovo

The challenges faced by drug addicts, mentally ill people, female prisoners and young offenders in the penal system are immense. These vulnerable groups need targeted protection and adequate care to ensure their safety, particularly during their time in prison. They also struggle with many problems after serving their sentences, which is why stable support structures for their resocialisation are essential to enable them to make a successful transition back into society.

The IRZ has addressed this important issue as part of its ongoing cooperation with the prison service and probation service in Kosovo by holding a two-day workshop for professionals working in the Kosovan prison service.

The Kosovar Director General of the Prison Service, Ismail Dibrani, the Director General of the Kosovo Probation Service, Arsim Tahiri, and the Deputy Head of the German Embassy in Pristina, Christian Böttcher, emphasised at the start of the workshop the importance of treating vulnerable groups in custody with care. Measures taken by the Kosovar justice system to prevent violence, abuse and discrimination, as well as humane treatment in general, are essential. The German experts from the Women's Prison in Berlin explained the legal framework of the penal system in Germany and the special needs of vulnerable prisoners. They also provided practical insights into rehabilitation strategies and the close cooperation between state and non-state actors, including in the field of probation.

This event in June 2025 highlighted the advantages of interdisciplinary cooperation between the penal system and probation services and raised participants' awareness of the needs of particularly vulnerable prisoners. The IRZ will definitely continue to work on developing the existing legal and institutional framework!

Workshop on preventing and combating domestic violence and violence against women

Participants of the workshop on preventing and combating domestic violence and violence against women in February 2025 in Pristina
Participants of the workshop on preventing and combating domestic violence and violence against women in February 2025 in Pristina
Kosovo

Together with the Kosovan police, the IRZ held the above-mentioned workshop in Pristina from 20 to 21 February 2025 as a kick-off event for the supra-regional project ‘Promoting the rule of law in the Western Balkans’, which is funded by the German Federal Foreign Office.

The almost 40 police officers from across Kosovo, as well as representatives from the Public Prosecutors Office and the probation service, first received an overview from the Kosovan side of the development of new capacities within the relevant police departments for dealing with domestic violence. For example, there are specially designed rooms for the protection of victims, information cards with contact and support options, intensified prevention campaigns and the development of a central database on cases of domestic violence. The introduction of electronic ankle bracelets is also planned. The German experts explained how the police handle cases of domestic violence and police measures in Germany. They described the work with perpetrators and victims, as well as the cooperation with family courts and the possibilities for protection under criminal and civil law. On the basis of the presented regulations of the German Protection against Violence Act in comparison to the Kosovan law adopted in 2023, there were some lively discussions and questions on points such as victim protection, protection orders and addiction problems.

The problems and challenges in implementing the law on domestic violence were discussed constructively and sometimes controversially, but ultimately promoted mutual understanding for the further implementation of the law. Another positive aspect to be highlighted is the increased awareness and transparency in cases of domestic violence in Kosovo. However, the number of unreported assaults is still high, as it is in Germany. During the exchange, it became clear that many cases in Kosovo are not reported because, according to the participants, the number of women not in employment is comparatively high, particularly in rural areas, and there is often a ‘culture of trivialising’ domestic violence.