Criminal-Legal and Criminological Overviews of Kosovo Citizen’s Participation in Armed Conflicts in Syria and Iraq

Abstract

The criminal offence of Kosovo citizen’s participation in armed conflicts outside of the country has been included in Kosovo criminal legislation in 2015. It has been addressed by a special law and this was determined due to the inclusion of a considerable number of Kosovo citizens in armed conflicts in Syria and Iraq. A perpetrator of this criminal offence can be any person that is a Kosovo citizen, whereas their incriminating actions shall be punishable from 6 months up to 15 years of sentence by imprisonment. Conducted researched for this criminal offence prove in armed conflicts in Syria and Iraq are currently 314 Kosovo citizens, among them also 27 children and 38 women. Kosovo citizens included in these conflicts exercise their military action mainly in support of terrorist organizations ISIS, SALUSTRA etc. In these conflicts until now died 57 Kosovo citizens. Concerning this criminal offence The State Prosecution has issued 34 decisions on implementing investigations, whereas courts did not yet promulgated any judgment punishing its perpetrators. The causes of Kosovo citizen’s participation in armed conflicts in Syria and Iraq are different, but dominate those economic, ideological, the poor work of justice bodies and media. This criminal offence causes numerous consequences of political, psychological, personal and family character.