Albania: Update to ALB29811.E of 21 July 1998 on the treatment of Democratic Party members and the state protection available to them (December 1998 - May 1999)

For information on the treatment of Democratic Party members in Albania current to December 1998, please consult the December 1998 IRB Issue Paper, Albania: Selected Political and Human Rights Issues.

A 2 December 1998 Rilindja Demokratike article states:

The following is the text of a report entitled "Meta, in Germany, declares war on northern Albania," published by the Albanian newspaper "Rilindja Demokratike" [the opposition Democratic Party newspaper] on 2nd December.

During his visit to Germany, Deputy Prime Minister Ilir Meta warned that the government would carry out heavy attacks against the north of Albania on the pretext of fighting smuggling. The statement of the government's number two man was made only a few hours before the police killed a former deputy chairman of the local election commission in Malesia e Madhe [northern Albania] and injured two of his brothers. The three men, supporters of the Democratic party [PD], were shot and killed on the doorstep of their house. The progovernment press justified the crime by saying that it was an attack on smugglers, but the investigative authorities have still not reached any conclusion and it cannot be otherwise. The PD representatives were shot at only because of their political beliefs and because they were opponents of the current government. They were killed in their house, and, thus, the pretext that they were in the act of carrying out smuggling activities is unacceptable.

The hostile attitude of the Albanian rulers towards the north of the country, confirmed by the statements of some government leaders, comes after the defeat of the ruling left-wing coalition in the constitutional referendum. The results, although manipulated, showed that only 35 percent of the people in northern Albania took part in the vote. The latest statements of government leaders in fact reflect the government's blind revenge against these regions, where the government enjoys no support. Evidence of this is also the killing of the PD representative in the local election commission in Malesia e Madhe.

A 21 February 1999 AFP article states:

Albania has released six leaders of the opposition Democratic Party from house arrest, a government statement said Sunday. The six, members of Sali Berisha's party, had been confined to their homes since August 22, but were released because Albanian law limits house arrest to six months, judicial sources said. They were accused of "crimes against humanity" for having used police, the army and the air force to put down civil unrest in the spring of 1997. The six were former government officials: Safet Zhulali (defense minister), Halit Shamata (interior minister), Blerim Cela (state control commission chairman), Bujar Rama (intelligence services director), Sokol Mulosmani (Vlora city police chief) and Kreshnik Lusha (commander of police special forces).

No information on the protection available to Democratic Party members could be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References

Agence France Presse (AFP). "Albania Released Opposition Leaders From House Arrest." (NEXIS)

Rilindja Demokratike [Tirana, in Albanian]. 2 December 1998. "Government Taking 'Revenge' on Northern Albania(Opposition Paper." (BBC Summary 4 Dec. 1998/NEXIS)

Additional Sources Consulted

Electronic sources: IRB databases, Internet, NEXIS/LEXIS, WNC.

Unsuccessful attempts to contact oral sources.