CRIMINAL ACT BY THE POLICE IN SHKODËR AGAINST STUDENTS
As of today, several days after the killing in Shkodër, there has still been no move to bring justice to public opinion through a statement at the time. Nevertheless, the event cannot remain without an institutional condemnation. According to the testimonies gathered by us and the information obtained from the scene, the police of the city of Shkodër used violence against the students.
The Albanian public is experiencing a situation in which the forces of order do not protect the citizen, but strike at him. The university youth, who had gone out to express their views, were met with rubber batons, pursuit and psychological terror. This event is shocking and unacceptable.
On Saturday evening, in the city center, near the dormitory, the students gathered and were beaten by the police. Some of them were left injured. Numerous witnesses say that the police used excessive force and that the attack was carried out without warning. This behavior cannot be justified.
Instead of talking with the young people, the local leaders chose the path of intimidation. This shows not only a lack of responsibility, but also the persistence of an old mentality that sees students as opponents rather than free citizens. In every normal country, the police serve the citizens; in Shkodër, they turned into an instrument of repression.
Our editorial office strongly condemns this criminal act and demands a full investigation and punishment of those responsible. Official silence would be complicit. Students have the right to protest peacefully and no one has the right to beat them.
The Shkodër incident is a warning bell for society as a whole. If violence against students is tolerated today, tomorrow it may fall upon any citizen. Therefore we call for transparency, justice and public accountability.
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