THE “NANO CASE” - victorious for... the “small-time schemers” By God, Bardha Xhami e plakës came out better than Mr. Fatos Nano’s own lawyers at the closing of the next hearing devoted to his trial. The success, which is significantly tied to the political character of the case, at no point has anything to do with the professional preparation of the defense. In short, the hearing showed that the lawyers lacked precisely what today’s legal profession ought to have. After one became convinced that some of them, without any major reason, boast about the zeal with which they have served causes with no gains or only small gains, with no great victories but rather small victories, one understood that this is not the task of Mr. Nano’s defense, since other issues were being publicly discussed and other things were troubling the defendant. To overthrow the accusation that the chairman of the SP, Mr. Nano, had committed abuse of office, his lawyers should certainly have taken up, as much as the occasion required, the statements made in Vlora by the Foreign Minister, Rukaj, only one week before Mr. Nano’s arrest. Or at least they should have asked whether anyone among the organizers of the first pluralist days was ever investigated for abuse of office, those who rushed into Albania with diplomatic suitcases and the miniskirts of the secretaries who held the first concessions. Was anyone questioned about the luxury of an unimaginable turn in our nomenklatura, from milk-drinking innocence to indulgence? From Bosi and Ivana!? If Fatos Nano’s problem depended on proving one legal fact or another, his trial would perhaps not be a matter attracting such special attention, to the extent that it has been described as an Albanian trial of the century. One knows the anecdote of how the small official of a great system is brought before justice as the mastermind behind the plots and actions that led the country to the abyss of a tragic truth for Albanians of the right. If that is the truth, this country has something to learn. That has been the question raised since the day Mr. Nano’s arrest was seen as tied to electoral psychoses. Now, in newspapers close to power, attempts are being made to portray the stormy early days of democratic rule as entirely normal. So the question being asked is this: why was no one questioned for the diplomatic suitcases and the secretaries, for the luxury and the concessions, while today Fatos Nano is on trial? To get rid of all kinds of issues, who said that Nano and Dhosi themselves had to be punished? Who said that the application of the law begins from the top, when the heights of truth have been set aside? Who said that democracy can find an alibi in political trials? This question, asked by ordinary citizens, is turning the next hearing into another test of the weakness of the rule of law. In this panorama, Mr. Nano’s defenders did little. They did not place the case on the level where it belongs. Instead of elaborating the link between the accusation and the political climate, the campaign against the opposition, and the statements of senior officials, they remained stuck on a formal objection. Thus, instead of a confrontation in political and legal spirit, the public got a faint display of arguments, while the trial remained as suspicious as it had been from the start. Since the fundamental question was missing in the courtroom: is a crime being tried or a political figure? – the moral outcome of the hearing belonged not to the lawyers, but to those who, from the hall, read the case as an episode in the struggle for power. That is why, beyond any procedure, the “Nano case” emerged victorious for... the “small-time schemers”.[?]

30 new admissions in Mogiçe Recently, 30 young Kosovars coming from the war zone have arrived in the municipality of Mogiçe to be settled there.[?] The local bodies have considered arrangements for housing and employment for them. The article further discusses economic difficulties and the assistance given to the arriving families.[?] (Continued on page 9)

Fatos Nano in conditions of inhuman treatment Much of what is being done, without hesitating to lay hands on the file of the political defendant, shows that justice does not resemble a regular trial. In prison he is kept in harsh conditions, without normal means of communication, in a situation that, according to relatives and defenders, amounts to inhuman treatment. What follows lists remarks about isolation, obstacles to visits, and restrictions that contradict the minimum standards for the treatment of detainees.[?] In this context, public opinion is invited to judge not only the criminal case, but also the way the state deals with political opponents.[?]

The immediate release of Fatos Nano and conditional approval - the condition for democratizing Albania Statement by the deputy chairman of the Socialist Party of the Kukës district. Before the solidarity of the Kukës district and the socialist country, in a predominantly analytical atmosphere, all the journalists of the democratic country and of the post-continental news[?] ... The statement says that the situation created around the proceedings against Fatos Nano seriously damages Albania’s image and demands his immediate release. It also links the approval of relations with Europe to democratic standards and the treatment of the opposition. The text also mentions reactions from socialist structures in various districts.[?]

flight routes suspended: The Austrian company fluturoi[?], Alba Airlines, in connection with technical uncertainty and operating conditions, has announced a temporary suspension of several routes. The text says that this situation is linked to the reorganization of the service and control measures. The routes and the impact this has on passengers are mentioned.[?]

[?] The text deals with an घटना in Korçë in which the behavior of the police toward citizens and the consequences of a controversial action are mentioned. In the absence of full legibility, it is understood that the article expresses concern about the police-citizen relationship and the need to respect the law.[?]

Recently there have been cases of unlawful detentions by the police. The article presents examples and citizens’ complaints, raising questions about the legal basis of the interventions and institutional responsibility. What follows mentions specific incidents and local reactions.[?]

SHKODER The final stage of the reform: 120 police officers may be laid off from work As part of the final stage of the reform in the police, a significant reduction in staffing is expected in Shkodër. According to the article, up to 120 police officers may be dismissed, depending on the new criteria and the restructuring of the law-enforcement bodies. The article addresses the concerns of the officers and the authorities’ arguments for greater efficiency.[?]

MALQELLARË In addition to their usual work, the firefighters have also been engaged in digging wells in the area. The article describes the residents’ need for water and the help provided by the local authorities.[?]

Mali e Madhe Solidarity Ark