EUROPE

In Kosovo, Tdh released on 7 April 2020 a public letter on the protection of juveniles in detention and deprived from liberty during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In Albania, Tdh released on 31 March 2020 a press release asking the Albanian government to take immediate non-custodial measures for the juveniles residing in the penitentiary institution in Kavaja. In addition, Tdh is maintaining phone contact with children beneficiaries of one of Tdh projects, who are in conflict with the law.

In Romania, Tdh has been in daily phone contact with the four child detention centres. As of 22 April 2020, the directors of three of these centres had first announced the early release of 24 children, out of 26 requests made, taking into account their credit for good behaviour. In addition, Tdh negotiated with two donors some flexibility in the budget granted for one of the projects in the detention centres. As a result, approximately 4,000 CHF was spent to provide protective material to prevent COVID-19 infection (gloves, face masks, sanitisers, etc.) for the four centres (1,000 CHF per centre). On 23 June 2020, Tdh was informed by the Romanian that authorities a total of 119 children (22,5%) were released from detention centres under Covid-19. Tdh Romania continues to request that the four detention centres establish phone contact with the children still detained.