World concerned about law regarding secret police

TIRANA, Feb. 9 – The local media reported this week that the international community was concerned about some amendments that the government has planned for the secret police known as SHISH.
There is concern that the government is trying to cut the independence of SHISH and put it under government control. They would then be used, exploited as a tool to fight political opponents and more.
The local media quoted undefined sources from western diplomats expressing their concern to the government.
Last week the government prepared some amendments to the law including the change of the head of the secret police and setting a fixed mandate for the post. The institution will be dependent on the prime minister, according to the amendments.
There is fear that such moves will also damage the professionalism of the secret police, which is considered as very important especially in the context of the fight against terrorism in the world.
The concern may have been well expressed in the meetings that western ambassadors, like the Spanish and the EC ones, the US and others have had with Albanian top officials in the last few weeks due to the intensity and efforts to resolve the political crises.