56 is the number of prisoners who escaped, or left and did not return from the weekend to the Correctional Institutions, in the time period from 2007 until now. 27 of them have not returned from the weekend, 12 others have left, while others have escaped in different ways.

This was said today at a press conference called by the Kosovo Correctional Service (KCS).

Referring to the recent cases of escapes from prison of Faton Hajrizi and the other prisoner with the initials U.M., the Deputy Minister of Justice, Blerim Sallahu reasoned that these escapes occurred due to low security measures in the Correctional Institutions, as they were in open types.

He said that prisoners serving sentences in open type institutions find it easier to use the opportunity to escape.

While mentioning these reasons, he said that there may be continued escapes.

Sallahu said that with their capture, all their privileges will be removed, turning them into closed type prisons with high security, and criminal proceedings will be initiated against them.

Meanwhile, the General Director of Kosovo Correctional Service, Ismail Dibrani said that from 2007 until now 56 prisoners have escaped, or left and have not returned from the weekend.

He said that some of them have returned voluntarily and some others have been arrested, for which he said that there is no accurate information about them.

Also Dibrani emphasized that the measures against prisoners in open types and the facilities they have, are affecting their escapes.

Dibrani said that two of the recently escaped prisoners, Faton Hajrizi and Ujkan Metaj, had the right to spend the weekend at home.

On July 6 of this year, Faton Hajrizi, convicted for the murder of the Russian UNMIK police officer, escaped for the ninth time from the Smrekonica Correctional Center.

Meanwhile, Ujkan Mataj, sentenced to 11 years in prison, had helped Kamer Metaj rob a bank in Istog, where as a result the police officer Izet Demaj was killed as well as the bank robber. /Z. Zeneli/