168 pages on the situation in Albania published in the US Human Rights Watch documents the many abuses after Berisha came to power A general report on Albania by the largest American organization in the world for the protection of human rights, Human Rights Watch, was distributed on Wednesday in the US. The 168-page report, among other things, mainly stresses that the first post-communist Albanian government systematically violates the fundamental civil and political rights of its citizens. Human Rights documents the many abuses in Albania that have occurred since President Sali Berisha’s government came to power in 1992. Comparing the current situation in Albania with the past, the report emphasizes that there has been progress. “For decades, the report says, Albania was the most repressive and closed state in all of Eastern Europe,” and any resistance to Enver Hoxha’s rule was punished with internment, long-term imprisonment and executions. “In light of this past, Albania has made progress in respecting civil and political rights,” the report says. But Human Rights adds that five years have not been enough to eradicate the legacy of Hoxha’s ruler. The long report on Albania explains that “the complete lack under the communist regime of independent courts, free media and human rights mechanisms presents a serious challenge for Albanian democracy today. What is even more serious is that the mentality of a one-party system is still deeply rooted in many of the country’s new leaders. Those who criticize the ruling Democratic Party are often considered to be criticizing “democracy”. Analyzing these factors, the report from the US stresses that Albanian citizens are still trapped by serious human rights violations, such as restrictions on freedom of expression and assembly, manipulation of the legal system and violence by the police. Human Rights says these abuses are partly the result of Albania’s Stalinist past, but in most cases the violation of human rights in Albania is a direct consequence of specific actions by the new government. The report in question was drawn up on the basis of missions that stayed for a long time in Albania and documents a number of violations, including sections of the legal system, freedom of the press, abuses by the police and the rights of minorities. It lists a number of recommendations addressed to Berisha’s government to improve human rights practices. E.BARÇI