The President of the Republic of Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani, based on her constitutional and legal competencies, signed a decree tonight granting a pardon for the remainder of the sentence of convicted individual Arza Cakolli, for humanitarian reasons, following a review of the proposal by the Pardon Commission and in accordance with legal procedures.
According to a statement from the Presidency, the decision was made due to exceptional circumstances, as the convicted individual gave birth to her first child while serving her sentence and is currently in the Women’s Correctional Center in Lipjan, alongside her baby.
“In making the pardon decision, other factors were also taken into account, including the fact that the convict has no prior criminal record, and the criminal offense for which she was sentenced was for ‘Endangerment of Public Traffic,’ meaning the offense was an accidental traffic incident. It was also confirmed that she was not under the influence of alcohol or other substances when the accident occurred. Additionally, the health challenges of both the mother and the baby were considered,” the statement reads.
The convict began serving her sentence of 1 year and 2 months in July 2024 and was scheduled to be released from prison on September 14 of this year.
“The file with the proposal reviewed by the Commission, as well as by the President’s legal team, was presented today to the President’s desk. Therefore, taking into account humanitarian factors and the professional evaluations of all relevant institutions, the President decided to pardon the remainder of her sentence,” the statement concludes.
