Report on the visit to state and justice institutions of the Republic of Croatia

From the Republic of Kosovo as participants in this visit were: Hasan Shala, President of the Court of Appeal, Ragip Namani, Judge of the Court of Appeal, Ms. Afërdita Bytyçi, President of the Basic Court in Prishtina, Besim Morina, Program Coordinator at the Academy of Justice, Hajriz Hoti, Judge of the Basic Court in Pristina, Islam Slamnik, Permanent Trainer at the Academy of Justice, Ms. Melihate Rama, Head of the Continuous Training Program at the Academy of Jusitce, Bujar Prebreza, UNCHR official, and Mr. Shadan Horosani, CRPK official.

On the first day of the visit, participants visited the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Croatia - Foreign Service and Asylum, where Mrs. Anita Mandic, Head of the Service for Foreigners and Asylum and Mrs. Sandrina Srsan, head of the procedure for foreigners and asylum, provided a presentation on the legislation in force in the Republic of Croatia and the implementation of EU directives regulating issues of international and temporary protection procedures in the Republic of Croatia. They also responded to any questions and interests of Kosovar officials on asylum issues. Participants have also visited and were more closely acquainted with the structure and functions of the Refugee Center. In this institution were informed about the conditions, procedures and interaction of state institutions dealing with the field of refugee protection.

Part of the visit was also the meeting at the Academy of Justice, where the delegation from Kosovo was hosted by Ms. Andrea Pasavec Franic, Director of the Academy of Justice and Mrs. Nella Popovic, head of the International Cooperation Unit. In this institution participants were familiarized with the work of the Croatian Academy of Justice, its functions and structure. In addition, Croatian officials have provided explanations on the training program developed by the Academy on Asylum and International Defense in the Republic of Croatia.

With the invitation of the director of the Croatian Academy of Justice, participants had the opportunity to participate in the roundtable on: "Croatia's Republic - 20 years at the European Court of Human Rights" organized by the Academy of Justice and the Office of the Representatives of the Republic of Croatia in ECtHR, where they had the opportunity to get acquainted with the achievements, obstacles and challenges of the Republic of Croatia in the implementation of the European Convention on Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (ECtHR), standards and case law of the ECtHR in Strasbourg.