Once again about pre-detention rooms

AHC correspondent in Shkodra informs about a severe incident that happened on June , 6. 2003 in the pre-detention rooms of the Police Station in Shkodra. There are contradictory versions. The police claims that the order forces entered the cell to get a sick detainee, who the doctor had recommended to be hospitalized. The detainees used this as a pretext to protest against the situation in the pre-detention rooms, especially about the overcrowding. And exactly at this point there was a clash between the detainees and the order forces.

From the data it results that violence has been used by both sides. The police claims to have been assaulted by the detainees in the cell and some policemen were heavily beaten. But other sources rather than that of the police, state that the police insulted loudly the detainees and this caused a quick reaction of the detainees in the other cells who strived to break the cells as well. It is also informed that on the date, June 6, the detainees started their hunger strike.

AHC expresses the opinion that violence used in the sentence-serving rooms is unexcusable. First of all the police has to take care to avoid it. But this incident brings forth the issue that AHC has discussed several times. On the part of the police it is demanded that it enforces the adopted law, according to which the pre-detention rooms are subject to the Ministry of Justice. Besides this, the number of people sentenced by a judicial verdict waiting to be transferred in prisons continues to be higher and they must not be held in police stations.
It is the right time this problem is tackled seriously to find a quick solution.

Tiranë, 13.06.2003