Title	Detention and Ill-Treatment of Government Opponents - The Elections of May 1996
Publisher	Amnesty International
Publication Date	21 September 1996
Country	Albania
Topics	Arbitrary arrest and detention | Elections | Freedom of expression | Opposition | Persecution based on political opinion | Police | Political situation | Pre-trial detention
Citation / Document Symbol	EUR 11/017/1996
Reference	Amnesty International is a worldwide voluntary movement that works to prevent some of the gravest violations by governments of people's fundamental human rights. The main focus of its campaigning is to: free all prisoners of conscience people detained an
Cite as	Amnesty International, Detention and Ill-Treatment of Government Opponents - The Elections of May 1996, 21 September 1996, EUR 11/017/1996, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6a9b24.html [accessed 8 June 2023]
Comments	There have been frequent reports of the arrest and ill-treatment of opposition activists and supporters in connection with national elections inMay 1996 in Albania, in which the ruling party, the Democratic Party, won an overwhelming majority. The main opposition parties claimed there had been major election fraud, and the conduct of the elections was criticized by international observers. On 28 May, two days after the elections, opposition parties attempted to hold a protest demonstration in Tirana's main square. The authorities banned the demonstration which was dispersed violently by police forces. Many demonstrators were beaten by police, including opposition leaders, women and the elderly, as well as some bystanders and local and foreign journalists. A considerable number were arrested and some of these were further ill-treated in detention before being released. In this report Amnesty International notes that the violence with which the demonstration of 28 May was dispersed was an extreme example of a pattern of official persecution of opposition leaders and supporters and of the independent or opposition press which has been manifest in Albania in recent years and which grew worse in the run-up to the May 1996 elections and their immediate aftermath. The report gives details of a number of illustrative cases in which people have been arrested and ill-treated as a result of having attempted to exercise, usually non-violently, their rights to freedom of assembly and expression, in opposition to the ruling party. In some cases they were suspected of having distributed anti-government leaflets or written slogans in support of opposition parties. In other cases they were arrested and ill-treated because they had taken part in opposition election rallies or simply because they were known to be opposition supporters. Despite official assurances that appropriate measures would be taken againstpolice officers who had committed violations of human rights, the authorities have so far taken little action, apart from the dismissal of seven police officers for 'incompetence'. Investigations into police violence by the Prosecutor's Office and by a parliamentary commission are still under way. By contrast, court proceedings against 10 men accused oftaking part in the unauthorized demonstration were concluded in July. Amnesty International is concerned that in the past the investigation of police abuses has tended to be prolonged and inconclusive and has called on the authorities to ensure that this time investigations be carried out promptly and impartially, that their findings and methods be made public, and those responsible for human rights violations be brought to justice. Local elections are due to take place in Albania on 20 October this year. Amnesty International has urged the authorities to ensure that human rights which are guaranteed under Albania's constitutional provisions and under international human rights treaties ratified by Albania are enjoyed by all citizens, regardless of their political, religious, or other convictions.
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