Freedom House issues report on Albania’s press freedom

TIRANA, Jan 14 – Freedom House issued its last report on press freedom, including in Albania.
The report mentions some key problems in the country, such as the local polls in Feb. 2007 that fell short of international standards and the election of Bamir Topi as next president.
On the 2005 general polls, it writes that while the election was not free from fraud, it was praised for bringing Albania’s first rotation of power without significant violence in the post-Communist era.
The adversarial relationship between the PD and PS in recent years has negatively affected the country’s reform process.
The European Union, which had signed a Stabilization and Association Agreement with Albania in 2006, continued to pressure the government to accelerate judicial reforms and anticorruption efforts in 2007. As a result, authorities improved institutional capacity to investigate and prosecute corruption, leading to several high-level arrests. However, corruption and judicial shortcomings remain serious problems.
Elections held in July 2005 for the 140-seat Kuvendi Popullor (People’s Assembly) were judged to have complied only partially with international standards.
Although corruption pervades all areas of life, the government appears to be making some efforts to address the problem.
While the constitution guarantees freedom of expression, and freedom of the press has improved since the fall of communism, problems remain. The intermingling of powerful business, political, and media interests inhibit the development of independent outlets, and suits against journalists for legitimate criticism are common. Journalists are still subject to intimidation and attacks, although the identity and motives of the perpetrators are not always clear. In July 2007, the Southeast Europe Media Organization alleged that the government had increased economic pressures on the media, citing as an example the 12 million euro fine imposed on the popular television station Top Channel for unpaid taxes. The government does not limit internet access.
The constitution provides for freedom of religion and religious practice, and Albania has avoided the interreligious turmoil suffered by its neighbors.
The constitution provides for an independent judiciary, but the structure of the judicial system leaves room for government pressure. The judiciary and law enforcement agencies are inefficient and prone to corruption, and judicial proceedings can be unjustifiably delayed. Enforcement of court decisions is weak, especially when they go against government interests.
In a controversial move in late November 2007, Prime Minister Sali Berisha fired the country’s prosecutor general, Theodhori Sollaku, accusing him of inadequate job performance and the premature release of 22 prisoners. However, critics suggested that the firing was politically motivated; Sollaku had focused on prosecuting government corruption, even when it put him at odds with the prime minister.
Lawlessness plagues large parts of Albania. Weak state institutions have augmented the power of crime syndicates, and international law enforcement officials claim that Albania has become an important transshipment point for drug smugglers.