Gov’t to offer free legal aid for the disabled

TIRANA, Feb. 17 – The Albanian government has pledged to provide free civil legal assistance to disabled people in the country.
The offer was announced at a round-table discussion hosted by the EU Delegation to Albania.
Justice Minister Nasip Naco said the state would offer free civil legal assistance to individuals with disabilities, insisting that they are very sensitive on the issues concerning the rights of this group of citizens. The authorities said they are committed to ensure free access to justice by these vulnerable social groups.
The new reform envisages free legal assistance to all individuals with disabilities and people who have no access to justice due to their social and economic problems, according to the minister, adding that a legal consulting office would “become operational soon” based on a decision the ministry had taken last month.
The offices will be opened in Tirana and other big cities like Shkoder, Korca and Durres.
EU Delegation Ambassador to Tirana Ettore Sequi said that respecting the rights of people with disabilities is a crucial criterion for Albania’s integration into the European Union.
“EU has prepared a 15-million-euro project to support disabled people in order to enable Albania move forward on its path toward European integration,” Sequi said.