Following the letter Amnesty International sent to President Berisha Public opinion has learned in recent days of a new appeal by the largest organization defending human liberties and rights, Amnesty International, which is asking President Berisha to release socialist leader Fatos Nano. What is striking about this latest intervention by this world-renowned organization is its response to what it describes as Fatos Nano, “a prisoner of conscience.” This is also a new assessment of the activities of the current government in Albania, which for more than two years, using the “Nano File” and keeping the head of the Socialist Party under arrest, has sought to portray him as an ordinary criminal, as a thief, with all the negative implications that such a label carries. Yet neither when F. Nano was arrested nor today does anyone believe that he is being held in prison as a colossal embezzler of millions of dollars. All the evidence shows that, for the Democratic Party regime, F. Nano represented an insurmountable obstacle to the establishment of antidemocratic methods in the country’s constitutional, political and economic life. This was why the leaders of the government thought at the time that isolating Nano would also deal a blow to the largest opposition party, the Socialist Party; isolating it would in fact clear the way for a new totalitarianism draped in a democratic veil. “After examining the verdict handed down by the Tirana Court and other documents relating to the case, Amnesty International concludes that the charges brought against Fatos Nano were politically motivated and were not substantiated by the evidence presented in court.” (From the letter Amnesty International sent to President Berisha) TRITAN SHEHU AGAINST AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL The leader of the DP, who is never at a loss for words when he speaks, has this time spoken clearly against the world’s most prestigious human-rights organization, Amnesty International... [text cut off at the bottom of the page] … and political … of the country’s social and economic … This was the reason why the leaders of the government then thought that isolating Nano would also be an isolation of it, which would in fact pave the way for a new totalitarianism cloaked in a democratic veil. Amnesty International’s involvement in the “Nano Case” is neither a first nor an isolated instance. Many other international organizations concerned with protecting human freedoms and rights, such as “Human Rights Watch”, etc., as well as the Inter-Parliamentary Union, are also focusing on this case. Thus, for these powerful international organizations, the “Nano File” can in no way be considered closed, nor can it be dismissed as insignificant, as an internal matter, much less as a matter solely for the Albanian judiciary. This is because the end of the Cold War has shown that in today’s democracy, violations of human rights in any country, large or small, must be assessed equally in Tirana and in London, in Bangladesh and in Washington. Guided by the principle that human freedoms and rights are universal and that standards for their protection must therefore also be universal, international organizations play a role … in Tirana with the “Nano File”— Amnesty International. then thought that isolating Nano would also be …—can only be regarded as outright antidemocratic acts. It is worth emphasizing that, on more than one occasion, various international organizations have communicated with the highest officials of our state about the “Nano Case”, indeed with President Berisha himself. If these international organizations believed in the actual independence of the Albanian judicial system, they would have to address representatives of the Albanian judiciary. This is not what happens, because international organizations assess the situation in Albania as it truly is—democracy is still at the mercy of politics. Amnesty International’s letter to President Berisha comes just three weeks before Albania is to report to the Council of Europe on how it has fulfilled the guarantees or conditions imposed on it when it was admitted on June 29. Someone in the PD camp, making political revenge their guiding principle, rejoiced prematurely and cynically as if the “Nano Case” had disappeared. (Continued on page 2)

SOCIALISTS: The “Nano” legislative initiative was forged. There is nothing in the register. FRASHËRI: I also make proposals to the Council of Ministers orally. The “account by Justice Minister Hektor Frashëri” before socialist MPs concerning the “anti-Nano amendments” continues today. The scandal at its heart—the legislative initiative signed by Albanian Prime Minister Aleksandër Meksi—is continuing to be exposed, this time to the Albanian public. Yesterday, through the widely publicized debate, everyone learned from Justice Minister Frashëri himself that the legislative initiative for these changes had been his own, and that concerns over the law’s misapplication had also been presented to him. But today, everyone can once again learn from the Minister and from the socialist MPs who checked at the Ministry of Justice that no file or draft law concerning this matter is registered at the Ministry of Justice. This explains why the Minister was reluctant to make available to the Socialists the draft submitted to the Council of Ministers. “Forgive me, you lied to us shamelessly, right to our faces, because there is nothing in the Ministry’s register concerning this draft law,” MP Maljko told Mr. Frashëri. But the Minister again defended himself: “I represent the Ministry at the Council of Ministers, and I can make proposals orally as well.” Meanwhile, Parliament’s Deputy Speaker, Mr. Shaqir Vukaj, said a few minutes after returning from Meksi’s office that “he did not allow us to check the register.” But Vukaj also revealed important details that put Meksi and Frashëri at odds. “The Prime Minister told us that the meeting had taken place yesterday morning (Thursday), whereas the Minister could not remember; moreover, when the draft bearing Meksi’s signature was sent at 8:30, it came by telex from the Prime Minister’s Office,” Vukaj said. Thus, everything suspicious is moving toward a contrived forgery. It was only on Thursday, August 4, in a press statement, that Justice Minister Frashëri could explain the two amendments voted through by the DP on July 28. “The new feature of this law is that the provision applies both to one sentence and to two or more sentences when the sentence lengths do not differ; the evidence [text unclear] that the aggregation of sentences once carried out by a court does not change,” the statement says. Everything is connected to “Article 2” of the law “On the Entry into Force of the Criminal Code.” The history it presents is interesting. About six weeks ago, when this law entered into force, the prison administration was supposed to submit requests to the courts to review the sentences of prisoners. In an official letter, ref. no. 183, the Tepelenë Prison Directorate addressed the Tepelenë Court requesting a review of Mr. Fatos Nano’s sentence. But, but after returning from the Ministry of Justice—the Albanian executive, which organized a seminar with the Justice Minister—the Albanian executive, which organized a seminar on the law—the Albanian executive, which organized a seminar on the Law? ... [the column text continues] At a meeting of district chief judges to clarify the Criminal Code, the chief judge of Tepelenë no longer registered the prison’s request, leaving the matter pending. So what order did he receive, when he already had an order? The person who gave the order is naturally concerned about the liability—indeed, the criminal liability—he has assumed. In a recent decision, the Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians of the Inter-Parliamentary Union expressed concern over the Justice Minister’s interference in this matter. The story then continued with the hearing in Tepelenë, where Nano’s sentence was not changed under “Article 2.” Two weeks later, the Court of Appeal overturned the Tepelenë decision. According to the Court of Appeal, applying “Article 2” was wrong because Nano had been convicted of two criminal offenses, not one. But on July 28, Meksi, or Frashëri, or someone else, brought the logic of Tepelenë into the law before the Presidency, rejecting that of the Court of Appeal. The interference of the executive and its endorsement by the DP-controlled legislature are evident. It is clear that officials frightened by criminal liability are seeking to dispel their fear by enshrining injustice, political revenge or a political order in law. “Berisha’s officials” seek to dispel their fear by enshrining in law the object of the “criminal liability” they have assumed Read on page 3

prestigious human-rights organization, Amnesty International... [continues beyond the edge of the image] … whenever he speaks, this time he has spoken clearly against the world’s most prestigious human rights organization, Amnesty International… He has reached the same conclusion as Albania’s communist leaders—who used to emphasize that international human rights organizations did not know Albania’s wonderful socialist reality and had been deliberately misinformed by the enemies of Albanian socialism. Amnesty International is an organization that has not allowed … to be condemned and … manipulated by certain political groups. Its activities are carried out by distinguished people, and its history contains countless forceful denunciations it has made of … … forcefully calling for the release of political prisoners. Otherwise, the Speaker of the People’s Assembly, Mr. Pe… Arbnori, should know better than Mr. Tritan how much hope the statements and pressure, letters and protests of this organization inspire in him and his fellow inmates in communist prisons. Amnesty International calls Fatos Nano a political prisoner, and does so after studying the Albanian reality and the procedures for fabricating and politically … against Fatcs Nanos. It states this clearly. Amnesty International’s position has also been supported by all the other parliamentary political forces in Albania, leaving … entirely isolated in its position. Correspondent of “Zëri i Popullit”

Another American military delegation has arrived in our country, headed by the Director of Logistics of the U.S. European Command, Major General Georg Van Der Ploog. During his visit, Mr. Van Der Ploog met with the Deputy Chief of the Army General Staff, Major General Armand Vincani. In his remarks, Vincani highlighted the major contribution of the American military to joint exercises, as well as the value of the ongoing exercise “Crystal Water - ’95.” The American military delegation then visited the camp of the American troops and the South Carolina National Guard, participants in the joint Albanian-American exercise “Crystal Water - ’95.” At a short briefing, the exercise commander, American Colonel Sudeth, reported on the results achieved. (Continued on page 4)

At the invitation of a group of Italian businesspeople and the Florence Chamber of Commerce, a group of Socialist Party MPs, headed by Servet Pëllumbi, Deputy Chairman of the Socialist Party, is in Italy on a working visit. During this visit, the group of MPs held several meetings with businesspeople, industrialists, entrepreneurs and others from the Tuscany region. Among other engagements, they met at Villa Del’Borno (a conference center) in Florence with a large group of bankers, businesspeople, industrialists, investors and prominent entrepreneurs from Tuscany, including E. Keli, ambassador; A. Bombani, Professor of Banking Technology at the University of Florence; A. Maruki, entrepreneur; N. Lombardi, entrepreneur; F. Palai, industrialist; and others. Mr. K. Perati, a director at the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs responsible for encouraging investment in Eastern European countries, was also present. The meeting was chaired by E. Bozi, president of the Tradelfin company. During the meeting, the Italians asked about many issues concerning current developments in Albania, including the political and economic situation, investment opportunities in Albania, current Albanian legislation enabling and protecting investments, and sectors of mutual interest for investment, among other matters. In their responses, the Socialist Party MPs emphasized the mutual interest in Italian investment in Albania, the Albanian legislation that enables and protects such investment, and Albania’s interest in having Italy among its main partners, among other things. In their discussions, they stressed that, regardless of political changes that may occur in Albania in the future, particularly after the 1996 elections, the Socialist Party’s platform gives priority to the normal and irreversible development of market-economy reforms, the country’s stability through legislation, the protection of foreign investment in Albania, and so on. In their discussions, the businesspeople expressed their willingness to invest in Albania, particularly in the productive sector, including infrastructure, the food industry, pharmaceuticals, textiles, clothing, footwear manufacturing, tourism, and other fields. At this meeting, it was agreed to establish a Tuscany–Albania association, whose Italian members would include prominent figures from various fields in Tuscany. The Albanian side would likewise include intellectuals and prominent figures from Albania’s political, economic and cultural life. The association’s purpose will be to increase cultural, scientific and other exchanges between the Tuscany region and Albania, as well as to facilitate the work of Tuscan investors in Albania through concrete proposals concerning various opportunities and advantages for investment in Albania. For this purpose, a committee was established to work toward setting up the association in the two respective countries. Press and Information Office of the SP

On Thursday in Krujë Large peaceful gathering of socialists Although the police cited a lack of police forces as the reason for not holding the rally, on Thursday they were ready to use violence. The Presidium of the Socialist Party of the City of Krujë, in response to the decision of its leaders ... organized a mass protest vote by the PD for the release in … of the grave violation of the release of … in … by … the protest … the procession of … in … supported … in … the base of … PS, Fatos Nano, decided to protest against … in the square … . … the citizens of Krujë have supported and popularized it. Not only as a result of the Party’s work, but also of its determination for democracy, with at its forefront the deputy Sadedin Balla, already known to Albanian readers, the socialists of Krujë have … supported the base … Such a situation corresponds to a … social… economic condition of the city’s population, … (Continued on page 2)

At its expanded meeting on 3. 3. 1995, the Presidium of the Socialist Party in Pogradec, [text unclear: “paqësorësh”], regarding the political situation and on the basis of the concerns of the Pogradec electorate about the danger threatening Albanian democracy, strongly and unanimously protests against the arrogant and antidemocratic actions of the political power of the PD and Sali Berisha. The two additions to the latest law passed by Parliament are shocking to Parliament’s own prestige; they express … (Continued from page 2)

The members and supporters of the Socialist Party express their great indignation at the antidemocratic actions of the judiciary, the government and the Albanian Parliament, in the attempt to pass the unconstitutional law that imposes punishment with … justice and the fundamental lines of … It is clear to everyone, at home and abroad, that Fatos Nano, chairman of the PS and deputy for our district, is innocent. It is clear to everyone that Fatos Nano is a political hostage who has been unjustly imprisoned. Alo (Continued from page 2)

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On Tuesday, August 8, at 10:00, in Lirëz of Skrapar, the Skrapar District Council is organizing the 51st anniversary of the Congress of the Anti-Fascist Youth of Albania. On this occasion, all delegates to the congress, other invitees and their families are invited to attend. The District Council, Skrapar.

… limo… ge… tohen r. 212 …E …herë… pranë… kundrejt… filluar… 24… minuta. …rore… o… me sistem…