Today, the DP’s third assembly Today the Democratic Party’s assembly begins its proceedings, and given the role this party has played on the Albanian political scene as the first opposition party after pluralism was declared, its congress is being awaited with interest by all the country’s political circles. Today the Democratic Party’s third assembly begins its proceedings, and given the role this party has played on the Albanian political scene as the first opposition party after pluralism was declared, its congress is being awaited with interest by all the country’s political circles. This interest is heightened by the fact that we have now fully entered the electoral climate, and by the question of how the DP will compete, both in terms of its electoral program and the people through whom it will seek votes from the electorate. Indeed, one of the most important issues the DP assembly will address is precisely the presentation of its electoral platform and the selection of candidates for parliament. It is a fact known to everyone, regardless of the official propaganda: the DP is no longer the party it was in December 1990. The political struggle that began in the first phase of the DP’s existence, between the leading figures of… Continued on p. 2

Fatos Nano will change cells. As reported, Bënça prison in Tepelena, where the Socialist leader—sentenced to 13 years in prison for theft—is serving his sentence, is to be renovated with a grant from the EC to improve conditions in the prisons left by the dictatorship. It is understood in advance that Nano may be moved closer to Tirana, as he will be transferred to Kavaja Prison. In Tepelena, Nano is held alone in a special cell, in more comfortable conditions than many of his fellow prisoners. It is reported that Nano has not met with his lawyer, Sanxhakuq?, for six months, since the trial at the Court of Cassation ended in September, concerning the reclassification of his criminal offense under the New Penal Code. Moreover, according to some unconfirmed sources, he has also refused to give his lawyer instructions before the latter goes to a summit to be held in Istanbul in May 1996, where legal explanations will be sought regarding Nano’s criminal offense. Thus, in addition to having lost faith in the Albanian courts, Nano also has no confidence in the Legal Committee of the European Parliamentary Union.

The number of journalists sentenced by the courts reaches 34 Journalist Arban Hasani has been fined 1.5 million lekë. He was sued by SHIK over an article published in the newspaper “Populli Po” in September 1994, which concerned the killing of PAD activist Gjovalin Çekini. At the conclusion of the court proceedings, judge Miran Ndoja deemed the article published in the newspaper edited by Hasani to be defamatory and consequently found him guilty. The sentencing of journalist Arban Hasani brings to 34 the number of journalists sentenced by our courts, which continue their proceedings against journalists as usual, even though the president has pardoned this part of the final judgment and has also not hesitated to instruct the relevant bodies that the best punishment for journalists should not exceed the limits of liability borne by the newspaper in which the false report may have been published. B.M.

From April 6 to 8, 1996, a seminar on the rights and freedoms of the Greek minority in Albania and the Albanian minority in Greece will be held in Sarandë, organized by the Albanian and Greek Helsinki Committees. All minority associations in Albania and the Albanian media organizations have been invited. The seminar will discuss the degree of democratization and civilization of postmodern societies in their treatment of minorities, and in particular the liberation of states from sick nationalism, which is widespread on the Balkan Peninsula. To create a clearer picture of minorities in Albania, we have referred to the latest official population census announcement. Albania is 97% ethnically homogeneous. This is the latest confirmation from the population census ahead of the June 1996 elections. The largest minority in Albania is the Greek minority. According to official figures, the Greek minority represents 1.85% of Albania’s population. The total number of ethnic Greeks in Albania is 58,758. Greek minorities live… Continued on p. 4

In the visible continuation of the article above: …had concluded the trial at the Court of Cassation he has refused… the European Parliamentary Union. B.P. Another prostitution den uncovered Ten Albanians arrested Another Albanian den of prostitution and crime has been uncovered by Italian police, this time in the town of San Benedetto del Tronto in the province of Marche. Following a lightning operation, local police made a surprise raid on a house on the outskirts of the town mentioned above, arresting 10 Albanians and also freeing 11 Albanian girls who were being kept isolated in one of the rooms of the residence. The Albanian girls themselves told police that they had been kept isolated there for a year and were beaten and raped every day by their compatriots because they refused to enter the prostitution racket. An immediate search revealed that, apart from several tens of millions of lire, documents showed that all ten Albanians had valid residence permits in Italy (Permesso di soggiorno). On the other hand, it emerged that they had prepared false passports for the girls, who, after landing on the shores of Puglia a year earlier, were transported to San Benedetto del Tronto, where they were kept isolated in the residence in question. Italian police, who had been receiving reports for some time about criminal activity of this kind somewhere between the regions of Marche and Abruzzo, say they also have information about other groups of Albanians engaged in such activity in the aforementioned area. K.P.

DP Fontanai: Albania is an interesting country, but be careful

P. 2

Page 2

Page 4