Amnesty International supports Albanian ombudsman

TIRANA, Nov 26 – The human rights watchdog Amnesty International condemned the Albanian government for its record on police brutality and for suing the country’s ombudsman.
“Amnesty International also urges the Minister of the Interior and the Director of the State Police to ensure that police officers at all levels are properly informed of the legal functions and duties of the People’s Advocate including the right to enter without any restriction, and without prior authorization, any state institution, including police stations and prisons, and to speak in confidence with any person there, without the presence of officials,” a statement said.
Albanian police in the city of Shkodra filed a suit against the country’s Ombudsman Ermir Dobjani, after the latter lashed out on a series of cases of police brutality.
Police accuse Dobjani of wrongly interfering in ongoing investigation, after the ombudsman had sought the release of a 20-year-old that was allegedly beaten in police custody.
The police deny the accusation that the 20-year-old was abused and accuse Dobjani of ruining an ongoing murder investigation which commenced in 1997.
Only a week earlier a police officer in the city of Saranda was arrested and charged for torturing an 18-year-old under arrest following a complaint by Dobjani with General Prosecutor Ina Rama.
After the incident, Dobjani lashed out at the Ministry of Interior for protecting officers involved in human rights abuses.
Amnesty International remind Albanian authorities that the torture or ill-treatment of a person, whether during or after arrest, or when the person is simply being questioned as a possible witness to a crime, is a serious criminal offence, both under Albanian and under international human rights law, and will be punished accordingly.
Amnesty International considers that the role of the People’s Advocate, and that of other human rights defenders, is vital in ensuring that allegations of police ill-treatment are heard and investigated, and that when these allegations are founded, the perpetrators are punished.