AI: Albania, little progress against crime and corruption

This is one of the conclusions for Albania in the annual report that Amnesty International published today about the world's Human Rights situation during 2017.

According to the “measures to ensure the independence of the judiciary were partially implemented”, as the complaint at the Constitutional Court on the part of two judges' associations for several provisions of the law to verify judges and prosecutors, which were rejected at the end of the year by the Court.

As for “Freedom of expression” Amnesty International's report stresses that “physical attacks against investigative journalists were carried out by organised criminals, or owners of private companies. In March, journalist Elvi Fundo was beaten in the capital, Tirana, by aggressors believed to be linked to organised crime. In June, the owner of a TV station, Erven Hyseni, was shot dead in Vlora, along with a government official”.

The report also brings to the attention accusations of slander filed by Appeals Judge Djindjic to the two media.

“in July journalists said that libel proceedings on the part of Judge John and his husband, Elona Chaushi, were intended to intimidate investigative journalists and encourage self-defence”.

Regarding violence against women and girls Amnesty International notes that <x0 reports of domestic violence increased”, citing the fact that “by June 1st, 420 orders for immediate protection” were issued. The report also cites the murder case last August of Judge Fildeze Hafizi, who was shot in her car by her former husband, remembering that he had earlier been convicted of violence against his wife but was released in early 2017 after a general amnesty.

As for homosexual rights, the report notes that “a August study has found widespread discrimination in employment both in the public sector and in the private “, while states that the two NGOs filed a complaint with the European Court for Human Rights, seeking a change in the Family Code, which prohibits co-existence rights for couples of the same sex”. / VoA