Lawyers in Kosovo have condemned the illegal police arrests for violations of public health regulations issued by the Ministry of Health. Kosovo Police reports indicate arrests for non-compliance in some cases treating the violations as minor offences according to the Decision, and in others as criminal offences. From 15 to 20 April 2020, police have arrested 174 citizens for failure to comply with the restrictions.  

The Ministry of Health decision, which by its character is prescriptive, provides that the actions of persons who are non-compliant with this decision are qualified as a minor offence, with Sanitary Inspectorates, and not the Kosovo Police as the competent authority for overseeing the implementation. Therefore, the police have been called to stop the arrests and detentions for minor offences and to issue administrative fines in compliance with the applicable law. 

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