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End police use of violence
According to news and video
footage aired by the Albanian media, Sarandë
Commissariat Police officers maltreated detained
individuals Oltion Varfi and Aristidh Gucaj.
Then, one of the detainees, in a serious
condition due to the maltreatment, was sent to
court for the establishment of the security
measure, where he also lost his senses.
According to the news, the People’s Advocate and
the Internal Control Service, based on the
complaint by the lawyer and father of the
detainee, were set into motion.
The Albanian Helsinki Committee (AHC)
expresses its profound indignation for the
serious incident, which is not a first in its
kind. Although Albania is a signatory to the
European Convention of Human Rights and many
other international acts; although the
Constitution of the Republic of Albania
sanctions that “Nobody shall be subjected to
torture, inhuman, cruel or humiliating
punishment or treatment,” there are still cases
of serious violations of this principle by
police officers.
On many occasions, AHC has
reacted publicly and has raised the concern with
the Directory of State Police, by recommending
measures to end cases of the maltreatment of
citizens who are accompanied, detained, and
arrested.
The serious incident in Sarandë
points out once again to the need to assess
police staff and their experience in the conduct
of their duties; the need to train them, not in
terms of physical skills, but also in terms of
knowledge of the law on State Police, freedoms
and rights of citizens and the treatment of
persons deprived of their liberty.
Once again, AHC draws attention
to the findings of its own monitoring missions,
during which, detained or arrested individuals
have claimed maltreatment by police and the
impossibility to have a forensic doctor examine
them independently, immediately after the use of
violence or maltreatment, and in spite of the
examination conducted by the doctor assigned by
the police commissariat. The European Committee
for the Prevention of Torture, Inhuman or
Degrading Treatment and Punishment, has
recommended the implementation of this
recommendation to Albania. Apparently, this is
still not possible.
Spurred by this case and
expressing the belief that the prosecutor’s
office will investigate the case quickly and
objectively and will bring those responsible
before justice, AHC asks from the General
Directory of State Police to seriously assess
all letters, concerns, and claims by citizens
regarding the conduct of local police officers.
That will increase the public’s trust in police
and will help prevent cases of abuse of the law
and of duties.
On the other hand, AHC recommends
to the prosecutor’s office to inform the public
of the progress of prosecutions on police
members denounced of maltreatment or other
degrading or humilitating actions.
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