The Albanian Helsinki Committee (AHC) has addressed the High State Audit (HSA) with a request for copies of lawsuits that HSA submitted during 2014 to the Prosecutor’s Offices of Tiranë and Durrës, as well as copies of complaints by HSA to courts toward decisions by the prosecutor’s offices to not initiate or to drop penal
The Albanian Helsinki Committee, the ProLGBT Association and Civil Rights Defenders call for respect for freedom of the press and an end to censorship and self-censorship. During these 26 years of democracy and pluralism in our country, the press has made valuable contribution to encouraging public debate for the interest of the public. However, professional
Today, all of the country’s media announced that political forces in the parliament reached an agreement regarding the content of the draft law on decriminalization and that they plan to vote it unanimously in the next plenary session of the Assembly. The Albanian Helsinki Committee (AHC) lauds this agreement and hopes that this law will
The Albanian Helsinki Committee (AHC), like all of Albanian public opinion, became aware of the U.S. State Department Report on Trafficking in Persons for 2014. We consider trafficking in human beings one of the gravest forms of violation of human dignity, rights and freedoms and therefore are concerned that this phenomenon is not being appropriately
Broadcast and print media informed the public about a shocking event that had taken place in the Shkodër orphanage. Employees of this institution were seen in the recorded video footage committing acts of violence as well as ignoring and despising behavior toward children, who they should serve as custodians for because they are paid by
Abbreviations AHC – Albanian Helsinki Committee EC – Electoral Code CEC – Central Election Commission ZEAC – Zonal Election Administration Commissions VC – Voting Center INTRODUCTION Respect for the right to vote, as an important part of fundamental human rights, was again the focus of AHC observation in the context of the June 21, 2015,
On May 4, some citizens of the city of Kukës organized a rally to express their dissatisfaction over the payment of dues and interests on electricity bills. District police bodies had rejected their initial request for a permit; nevertheless, the organizers did hold the planned rally. The footage aired by TV outlets and social media
The media reports of May 2, 2015, informed public opinion regarding an incident that took place in the city of Durrës, during the rally organized by Ms. Grida Duma, candidate of the Democratic Party for Durrës Mayor. The incident contained elements of unlawful offences and, as a result, based on the information we have, criminal
The Albanian Helsinki Committee applauds and supports the joint Declaration of the Summit of the Western Balkan Countries, the European Union, Germany, etc., that was held in Berlin on August 28, 2014. We especially applaud the German Government and Chancellor Angela Merkel, not only as the initiator of the organization of this Summit, but also