The Ministry of Justice has issued a decision providing special protection to prison police officers in cases where their lives are threatened due to their duty. The Ministry stipulated that protection is granted for a period of up to four months and is guaranteed by the structures of the State Police or the Prison Police.

Through a guideline published in the official gazette, the authorities stipulated protection for the threatened officers, their families or property for a period of up to four months.

“Employees of the Prison Police and the heads of institutions for the execution of criminal decisions, whose lives, families or property are endangered due to the duty they perform, have the right to be provided with special physical protection by the State Police. In emergency situations, when due to the nature and complexity of the case, it is impossible to guarantee protection by the State Police, special protection is provided by the special structure of the Prison Police,” according to the ministry’s decision.

Reportedly, the work of Prison Police employees does not fall into those light categories. The Ministry itself did not provide figures or cases when a prison police officer has been threatened with death by persons behind bars, or by third parties associated with them.

The act comes after an escape attempt of two convicts who had threatened police officers. A failed escape attempt was recorded in Prison 313 in Tirana last Sunday, where two convicts, notorious names in the organized crime, Arbër Çekaj and Fatmir Pjetri, attempted to escape but were caught by prison guards.