TIRANA, April 14 – President of Albania Ilir Meta endorsed the Council of Europe’s guidance to governments on respecting human rights, democracy and the rule of law, stressing that that restrictive measures should be imposed only by law during the coronavirus pandemic.
“Actions and government-imposed measures to restrict the right to private life, freedom of conscience, freedom of expression and freedom of association must be established only by law, in proportion to the risks and as long as it is necessary to protect [the people’s] health,” Meta said.
According to Meta, all coronavirus measures should be based on the Constitution as well as favor general public and national interest. In reference to the government’s decision to impose harsh prison sentences on violators of the measures, the President stated that severe criminal penalties for non-compliance need to be avoided as much as possible.
“Restrictive measures, as the Council of Europe emphasizes, cause serious concerns for the respect of human rights. By inviting all citizens to strictly abide by all the published guidelines and restrictions due to the global pandemic, I emphasize the necessity to respect the principles of democracy and the rule of law, the Constitution and the hierarchy of applicable laws and international conventions, ” Meta said.
Moreover, the President added that “even after the emergency phase of this crisis, our societies will have to find ways to put social and economic damage in place and further increase confidence in our democratic institutions. It is necessary to start a broad reflection on the protection of the most vulnerable individuals and groups in our societies and on the ways of protecting their rights in a more sustainable model for governance.”
Last week, Rama proposed to the parliament to make several change to the Criminal Code, by including fines, sanctions regarding driving licenses and prison sentences of up to 15 years for those who violate the government-imposed measures under the state of emergency.
A group of thirty Civil society organizations expressed concern over the proposal, calling on the parliament to reject it. In a joint declaration released on Friday, the organizations stated that the proposal was inhumane, disproportionate and in violation of individual rights and freedom.
