Stop brutality on the part of the cross-border police

Some days ago a group of representatives  of the publishing houses in Tirana, with the invitation of the Albanian publishers in Macedonia, set out to participate in the fifth book fair in Tetovo. They had a quantity of books with them to be exhibited in this fair. They were equiped with regular visas. However, the Macedonian Police stopped them only because they had books in the Albanian language. Under these conditions, the representatives of the publishing houses, were forced to turn back to the Albanian cross-border point.

The next day, after some interventions, they were allowed to cross the borderr and arrived in Tetovo one day later after the opening of the fair.  It is worth mentioning that the Macedonian Police behaved not only brutally but also offendingly, but  they dared write on their passports that the books were to be returned home.

Albanian Heklsinki Committee strongly condemns this arbitrary, brutal, insulting and discriminating act versus the Albanian intellectuals and the progressive culture. It is not the only and single case that the Macedonian Police has acted this way. The same attitude has been demonstrated versus the representatives of the Albanian Publishing Houses even in the same previous fairs arranged in Macedonia.

Albanian Helsinki Committtee considers this not as an accidental case, but as a many-year lasting practice that has not been condemned and prevented despite the reactions addressed. AHC avails itself of this opportunity to recall that some years ago,The Macedonisn Cross-Border Police, banned and never returned to the leaders of this Committee about 200 volumes in the Albanian language. They were translations of the international instruments such as The European Convention of Human Rights, the Universal Declaration of United Nations, the Convention against Torture, Context-Convention of Copenhagen, etc.

It is inconceivable that such phenomena like the above-mentiones ones, occur at a time when both nations are aspiring to be integrated into the Euro-Atlantic structures, when there have been committments to further strengthen the bilateral relationships. It is to be regretted that such reiterated cases occur after Ohrid agreement. AHC shares the conviction that the book fairs (thus the book fair arranged in Tetovo) serve to the acquaintance with the cultures, as well as to experience exchange.

The book published in the Albanian language has no harmful effects if it is distributed and read by the citizens of another democratic country. Instead such initiatives need to be promoted. It is no use setting barriers, censuring or banning  books in the Albanian language. They are neither drugs nor weapons that poison, kill and destabilize. They are a modest part of the porgressive Balkan and world culture, and as such, they are entitled to a free movement as the people are.

Albanian Helsinki Committee suggests to the Albanian Government and particularly to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, not only to react vis-a vis such cases, but also to get a guarantee by the respective Macedonian bodies that these cases will not be reiterated in the future.

Tirana, 6.10.2003