human rights in post-communist albania

202 Pages·2012·0.73 MB·English

HUMAN RIGHTS IN
POST-COMMUNIST ALBANIA

Human Rights Watch/Helsinki

Human Rights Watch
New York !!!! Washington !!!! Los Angeles !!!! London !!!! Brussels
Copyright 8 March 1996 by Human Rights Watch.
All rights reserved.
Printed in the United States of America.

Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 95-081455
ISBN: 1-56432-160-6

Cover photo copyright 8 Armando Babani. Tirana, Albania.

Human Rights Watch/Helsinki
Human Rights Watch/Helsinki was established in 1978 to monitor and promote
domestic and international compliance with the human rights provisions of the 1975
Helsinki Accords. It is affiliated with the International Helsinki Federation for
Human Rights, which is based in Vienna, Austria. Holly Cartner is the executive
director; Erika Dailey, Rachel Denber, Christopher Panico and Diane Paul are
research associates; Ivan Lupis is the research assistant; Anne Kuper, Alexander
Petrov, and Shira Robinson are associates. Jonathan Fanton is the chair of the
advisory committee and Alice Henkin is vice chair.
HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH

Human Rights Watch conducts regular, systematic investigations of human rights abuses in some
seventy countries around the world. It addresses the human rights practices of governments of all
political stripes, of all geopolitical alignments, and of all ethnic and religious persuasions. In internal
wars it documents violations by both governments and rebel groups. Human Rights Watch defends
freedom of thought and expression, due process and equal protection of the law; it documents and
denounces murders, disappearances, torture, arbitrary imprisonment, exile, censorship and other
abuses of internationally recognized human rights.
Human Rights Watch began in 1978 with the founding of its Helsinki division. Today, it
includes five divisions covering Africa, the Americas, Asia, the Middle East, as well as the
signatories of the Helsinki accords. It also includes five collaborative projects on arms transfers,
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The staff includes Kenneth Roth, executive director; Cynthia Brown, program director;
Holly J. Burkhalter, advocacy director; Robert Kimzey, publications director; Jeri Laber, special
advisor; Gara LaMarche, associate director; Lotte Leicht, Brussels office director; Juan MØndez,
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Weschler, United Nations representative.
The regional directors of Human Rights Watch are Peter Takirambudde, Africa; JosØ
Miguel Vivanco, Americas; Sidney Jones, Asia; Holly Cartner, Helsinki; and Christopher E. George,
Middle East. The project directors are Joost R. Hiltermann, Arms Project; Lois Whitman, Children’s
Rights Project; Gara LaMarche, Free Expression Project; and Dorothy Q. Thomas, Women’s Rights
Project.
The members of the board of directors are Robert L. Bernstein, chair; Adrian W.
DeWind, vice chair; Roland Algrant, Lisa Anderson, Alice L. Brown, William Carmichael, Dorothy
Cullman, Irene Diamond, Edith Everett, Jonathan Fanton, James C. Goodale, Jack Greenberg, Alice
H. Henkin, Harold Hongju Koh, Jeh Johnson, Stephen L. Kass, Marina Pinto Kaufman, Alexander
MacGregor, Josh Mailman, Andrew Nathan, Jane Olson, Peter Osnos, Kathleen Peratis, Bruce
Rabb, Orville Schell, Sid Sheinberg, Gary G. Sick, Malcolm Smith, Nahid Toubia, Maureen White,
and Rosalind C. Whitehead.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This report was researched and written by Fred Abrahams, a consultant to
Human Rights Watch/Helsinki. It is based on time spent in Albania from July 1993
to August 1994, and again in January and August 1995. Ivana Nizich, former
research associate at Human Rights Watch/Helsinki, also collected information for
the report in a visit to Albania in May 1995. Ann Beeson, Bradford Wiley Fellow
with Human Rights Watch/Free Expression Project and the International Freedom
to Publish Committee (IFTPC) of the Association of American Publishers, also
visited Albania on behalf of the IFTPC in May 1995, and contributed to the chapter
on Albanian Media. The report was edited by Ivana Nizich, Jeri Laber, Senior
Advisor to Human Rights Watch/Helsinki and Mike McClintock, Deputy Program
Director at Human Rights Watch. Anne Kuper provided production assistance.

Human Rights Watch/Helsinki interviewed numerous individuals in
Albania and abroad, including lawyers, judges, human rights activists, former
political prisoners, journalists, diplomats, government officials, refugees and
students. We express our sincere thanks to all of these individuals for sharing their
expertise and personal experiences.
CONTENTS

I. INTRODUCTION.........................................................................................................1

II. RECOMMENDATIONS.............................................................................................4

III. BACKGROUND........................................................................................................7
HISTORY..........................................................................................................7
POPULATION..................................................................................................8

IV. THE LEGAL SYSTEM............................................................................................10
CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM......................................................................11
The Referendum of November 1994................................................12
INDEPENDENCE OF THE JUDICIARY......................................................14
The High Council of Justice.............................................................15
Law Courses in Durres.....................................................................18
The Case of Maksim Haxhia............................................................20
The Case of Zef Brozi......................................................................21
LEGISLATIVE REFORM..............................................................................25
Laws Regarding Communist-Era Secret Police Files.......................26
Law on Labor Relations...................................................................26
Press Law.........................................................................................27
Penal Code.......................................................................................28
Law on Police Searches...................................................................29
Ban on the Communist Party...........................................................30
Advocacy Law.................................................................................30
VIOLATIONS OF THE RIGHT TO A FAIR TRIAL.....................................31

V. ACCOUNTABILITY AND IMPUNITY...................................................................33
THE TRIALS OF FORMER COMMUNIST OFFICIALS.............................35
LAW ON GENOCIDE AND THE LAW ON THE VERIFICATION OF
MORAL CHARACTER..................................................................................38
IMPUNITY FOR PAST AND CURRENT CRIMES......................................42

VI. POLITICAL PARTICIPATION AND THE ELECTORAL PROCESS..................44
HARASSMENT OF THE POLITICAL OPPOSITION..................................44
Physical Attacks Against the Political Opposition...........................45
The Murder of Gjovalin Cekini........................................45
The Attack on Teodor Keko.............................................47
Attacks on Gjergji Zefi.....................................................47
Attacks Against Members of the Socialist Party..............48
Legal Cases Against the Political Opposition..................................49

v
The Case of Fatos Nano...................................................49
Political Discrimination in State Employment.................................54
THE RIGHT TO PEACEFUL ASSEMBLY...................................................55
Socialist Party Rally.........................................................................56
Association of Former Political Prisoners........................................57
Property Through Justice Hunger Strike..........................................58
Demonstration for Archimandrite Maidonis....................................58
THE RECOGNITION AND REGISTRATION OF POLITICAL PARTIES..59
FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS.....................................................................60
IMPROPER USE OF THE SIGURIMI FILES...............................................61

VII. FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION IN THE MEDIA...................................................64
LEGAL STANDARDS....................................................................................65
BACKGROUND.............................................................................................67
BROADCAST MEDIA...................................................................................69
Closures of Private Radio................................................................73
PRINT MEDIA................................................................................................75
Legal Restrictions: The Press Law and Penal Code.........................76
Trials of Journalists..........................................................................77
The Trial of the Koha Jone Journalists Aleksander
Frangaj and Martin Leka..................................................77
The Trial of Blendi Fevziu...............................................78
The Trials of Gjergji Zefi.................................................80
Printing and Distribution.................................................................81
Access to Information......................................................................82
Economic Censorship......................................................................83
ALBANIAN TELEGRAPHIC AGENCY (ATA)............................................84
JOURNALISTS HARASSED, ASSAULTED OR IMPRISONED.................85

VIII. ILL-TREATMENT, DEATHS IN CUSTODY AND ARBITRARY ARRESTS..93
LEGAL STANDARDS....................................................................................94
KILLING IN DISPUTED CIRCUMSTANCES..............................................95
Romeo Ga(cid:231)e.....................................................................................95
DEATHS IN CUSTODY.................................................................................96
David Leka.......................................................................................96
Irfan Nanaj.......................................................................................96
Dhimitraq Petro................................................................................96
Enrik Islami......................................................................................96
ILL-TREATMENT AT THE TIME OF DETENTION...................................97
Arben Memolla................................................................................97
Gay Club Albania.............................................................................97
THE ILL-TREATMENT OF PRISONERS.....................................................97

IX. MINORITY RIGHTS...............................................................................................99

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DOMESTIC LEGAL PROTECTIONS...........................................................99
INTERNATIONAL LEGAL PROTECTIONS..............................................100
THE GREEK MINORITY.............................................................................105
The Greek Minority Under Communism.......................................106
Greek-Albanian Relations..............................................................107
The Greek Minority Today.............................................................110
Political Representation.................................................110
The Trial of the Omonia Five.........................................112
Minority Language Education........................................118
Restrictions on Religious Freedom................................121
Restrictions on Freedom of Assembly............................124
Restrictions on Minority Access to the Media...............125
OTHER ETHNIC MINORITIES...................................................................126

X. THE RIGHTS OF WOMEN....................................................................................128
LEGAL PROTECTIONS...............................................................................128
WOMEN’S RIGHTS UNDER COMMUNISM.............................................129
WOMEN’S RIGHTS TODAY.......................................................................130

XI. THE RIGHTS OF HOMOSEXUALS....................................................................133

XII. UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT POLICY....................................................134

XIII. EUROPEAN POLICY.........................................................................................137

XIV. CONCLUSION...................................................................................................138

APPENDIX A: LAW ON GENOCIDE.........................................................................139

APPENDIX B: LAW ON THE VERIFICATION OF MORAL CHARACTER...........142

APPENDIX C: LAW ON THE PRESS.........................................................................150

vii
viii Human Rights in Post-Communist Albania
I. INTRODUCTION

For nearly half a century Albania experienced a brand of communism
unknown to the rest of Eastern Europe. A fateful blend of isolationism and
dictatorship kept this tiny Balkan country the poorest and most repressive in all of
Europe. During his forty-year reign, the Albanian leader Enver Hoxha banned
religion, forbade travel and outlawed private property. Any resistance to his rule
was met with severe retribution, including internal exile, long-term imprisonment
and execution. His domination of Albania=s political, economic and social life was
absolute.
In light of this history, Albania has made substantial progress toward
respect for civil and political rights in the past five years. Democratic elections in
March 1992 swept the communist party from power, installed a new government led
by President Sali Berisha of the Democratic Party, and paved the way for a series of
liberalizing reforms.
Still, five years has not been enough to wipe away the legacy Hoxha=s rule.
The complete absence under communism of independent courts, a free media and
human rights mechanisms poses a serious challenge to Albanian democracy today.
More seriously, the one-party mentality is still deeply ingrained in many of the
country=s new leaders: critics of the ruling Democratic Party are often regarded as
critics of Ademocracy.@
As a result, Albanian citizens are still plagued by serious human rights
violations, such as restrictions on freedom of expression and association,
manipulation of the legal system and violence by the police. In part, these abuses
are the result of Albania=s Stalinist past. But in many cases, the human rights
violations in Albania today are the direct result of specific actions on the part of the
new government.
Of particular concern is the state’s continued interference in the judiciary.
Despite many improvements, the court system is still used as an instrument of the
state, especially against the political opposition. The leader of the largest
opposition party is currently in prison after a trial fraught with due process
violations. Since 1992, numerous other critics of the government have been
harassed, tried, imprisoned or, in a few cases, physically attacked by unknown
assailants C usually without any response from the government. Judges who make
independent decisions on sensitive cases are sometimes reassigned to lesser posts or
fired. More than 400 persons, predominantly selected by the Democratic Party,

1
2 Human Rights in Post-Communist Albania

were appointed as judges and prosecutors throughout the country, upon completion
of a special six-month law course, thereby strengthening governmental influence
over the judiciary and law enforcement officials.
Despite some positive developments - such as a new Bill of Rights - some
of Albania=s new legislation does not conform to international standards. Of
particular concern is a new law that created a commission, appointed predominantly
by the government, to review the communist-era secret police files. All those who
were members of pre-1991 governments or found to have been collaborators with
the former secret police are banned from holding elected office or other
government-appointed posts until the year 2002. There is considerable fear that the
law will be applied selectively against political rivals to the government.
The government has undertaken an ambitious effort to prosecute former
communist officials who committed crimes during the previous regime. However,
the process has been selective and, at times, in violation of international law. Some
former communist officials were denied the right to a fair trial, while others have
avoided prosecution altogether because of their ties to the current government.
Freedom of the press is also circumscribed. No legislation exists to allow
for the transmission of private television or radio, leaving the state-run programs
that favor the government as the sole provider of news for the majority of the
population. While there are many private newspapers throughout the country, they
are restricted by a repressive press law and obstacles to their distribution. Since
1992, a large number of journalists, including foreign correspondents, have been
harassed, arrested or beaten by unknown assailants after writing articles that were
critical of the government.
The rights of minorities have improved since the fall of communism.
Nevertheless, problems do exist, particularly with the sizable Greek minority in the
south of the country. In September 1994, five members of the ethnic Greek
organization Omonia were tried and convicted on charges of espionage and the
illegal possession of weapons in a case that was in violation of both Albanian and
international law. The five defendants were later released but not before 70,000
Albanian guest workers had been expelled from Greece as retribution by the Greek
government. Large-scale detentions of ethnic Greeks by the Albanian police and
secret service before the trial created an atmosphere of fear in areas inhabited by
Greeks. The issue of Greek-language schooling and the return of property owned
by the Orthodox Church are also areas of concern.
Parliamentary elections are due in the spring of 1996 but, as of February
1996, no fixed date had been set. The closing months of 1995 saw renewed efforts
by the state to silence independent voices in the judiciary and media, as well as
those of opposition politicians. Human Rights Watch/Helsinki fears that these