From Tirana prison, Erieta’s former husband sends a letter to the Prosecutor General Dritan Avdyli writes in his letter about the possible theories and names connected to Erieta’s murder In his letter, Dritan Avdyli writes about the possible theories and names connected to Erieta’s murder page 7

By Marion Hoffmann * Every morning Moza does the same thing. Since May 1999, when her son left Albania aboard a speedboat, she has gone to the police station to ask about him. Since then, she has not seen her son again. His friends in Italy cannot confirm that they have seen him either. Nevertheless, she still hopes she will see him again. Moza is not the only mother in Albania or elsewhere in the world who feels such anguish. A few weeks ago, the bodies of 59 Chinese people were found dead inside a truck at the English port of Dover. Now other families are mourning the loss of their beloved children. They will not be the last. The clandestine movement of people is a growing phenomenon throughout the world. Albanians know the complexity of this reality, which so often causes shock, as well as the risks people take because of it. Hundreds of Albanians have died in the Strait of Otranto, and hundreds of other foreigners have disappeared. Speedboats have sunk because of bad weather and when pursued by the police. Often, traffickers lighten the speedboat by throwing the human “cargo” into the sea, since this increases the speed of the boat, which they also use to transport drugs and weapons that bring greater profits... It is no mystery why trafficking routes pass through Albania, from Iraq or even China to Western Europe, from one corner of the world to another. People leave their country illegally for many reasons: many hope to find better living conditions; others flee persecution and human rights violations; and others, mostly girls and women, are trafficked for exploitation in prostitution and labor, thus becoming slaves. It is clear that only coordinated action will produce results in bringing the mass flow of clandestine migrants under control. It is equally clear that as long as the gap between rich and poor, and between developed and developing countries, exists, there will always be people seeking a better life. It is also clear that as long as dictatorships and wars threaten people’s lives and freedom, they will continue to seek safety. What can be done to reduce this exploitation of human beings and the number of other Mozas? (continued on page 19)

page 20 Two Romanian children playing in a Bucharest fountain, where the temperature has reached 41 degrees photo REUTERS

Nano: “Don’t think you’ll get off the hook by shirking responsibility” Ruçi splits from the group; Malaj elected chairman amid debate with 63 votes page 2