The release of Fatos Nano would demonstrate the Albanian authorities’ clear commitment to fulfilling their international human-rights obligations, including those undertaken after Albania’s accession to the Council of Europe. Amnesty International sends the original of the letter it sent to Berisha to the PS. Here is its full text: Amnesty International sends the original of the letter it sent to Berisha to the PS. Here is its full text: Dr. SALI BERISHA. President of the Republic of Albania Tirana-Albania Dear President Berisha, Amnesty International is writing to you to raise its concerns about the continued imprisonment of Socialist Party leader Fatos Nano and Ilir Hoxha, the son of Enver Hoxha. [continues in the visible columns] ... of the misappropriation of state property, in the form of emergency aid in favor of a third party, and the falsification of official documents. He was sentenced to 12 years’ imprisonment, a decision upheld by the Court of Appeal. After this period, his sentence was reduced to 8 years, following the Amnesty announced in November 1994 and a further two years in March 1995. In June of this year Fatos Nano’s [charges] are politically motivated and there was no evidence in support of them at the court hearings. We are also concerned about the numerous procedural violations throughout the trial, violations that significantly restricted the defendant’s and his lawyers’ right to examine the charges and the full case documentation, thereby denying them [text unclear]. independently, his right to freedom of expression, guaranteed under Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Albania is a State Party. Amnesty International believes that Ilir Hoxha’s imprisonment violates not only international law, but also runs counter to current practice in Albania, where views expressed forcefully ... are regularly published in the press. [The text begins mid-sentence and contains gaps.] He was placed under house arrest on 17 April 1995 following charges brought after an interview he gave to the newspaper «Modeste», published two days earlier. On 8 June 1995, the Tirana District Court sentenced him to one year in prison for «incitement of hatred against certain sections of the population» under Article 766 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Albania, a decision upheld by the Court of Appeal on 3 July 1995. Amnesty International has obtained a copy of the interview published in «Modeste» and, after examining it, has concluded that by defending his father’s past and criticizing the present government, Ilir Hoxha exercised Albania Tirana, Albania Hoxha. The charges on which they were convicted are very different, but in both cases, after examining the charges and the evidence on which the convictions were based, Amnesty International has concluded that they were imprisoned because of their political beliefs and that neither of them used or advocated violence. For this reason, our Organization considers them prisoners of conscience and calls for their immediate and unconditional release. We take this opportunity to reaffirm that our Organization neither supports nor opposes the views of the people whose human rights it seeks to protect. Fatos Nano was arrested on 30 July 1993, while the charges against him were filed on 15 February 1994. On 3 April 1994, under Articles 62 and 110 of the Penal Code then in force, he was found guilty of the charge of securing benefits for a third party and falsifying official records. He was sentenced to 12 years in prison, a decision that was also upheld by the Court of Appeal. Subsequently, declared in November 1994, and by this year, the Tepelenë Court ruled that, upon the entry into force of the Penal Code, Fatos Nano had 4 years and 7 weeks of imprisonment left to serve. Later, on 21 July 1995, the Court of Appeal ruled that he had almost 3 years of imprisonment left to serve, rejecting the request by Fatos Nano and his lawyers, as well as the request by the Prosecutor of the Court of Appeal for his immediate release. On 26 July 1995, the Court of Cassation granted the Prosecutor General’s request to postpone consideration of this case until September, to enable the latter to study the Court of Appeal’s file. After examining the decision of the Tirana District Court and other documentation relating to this case, Amnesty International has concluded that the charges brought against [The text begins mid-sentence:] there was no evidence and they were based entirely on a [unclear in the source]. It was violations that severely restricted the defendant’s and his lawyers’ right to be informed of the charges and to have access to the complete case documentation, denying them the right to equality of arms concerning the presentation of witnesses and experts. The case of Ilir Hoxha raises different issues. newspaper “Modeste,” which had been “inciting of the Penal after examining it, present government, Ilir Hoxha had exercised his legitimate freedom of expression, clearly recognized in the full documentation of this case and in international human rights agreements, including the commitments undertaken following Albania’s recent accession to the Council of Europe, which guarantee all citizens, whatever their views, the full enjoyment of the right to exercise peacefully freedom of expression and political association. For the Secretary General DEREK EVANS Yours sincerely. [The text begins mid-sentence:] guaranteed under Article 5 Ilir Hoxha’s imprisonment not only violates Albania, where strongly expressed views representing quite sharp polemics have become the norm. Amnesty International is making this appeal to you for the release of these two people, whom it considers prisoners of conscience. We believe that their release would demonstrate the clear commitment of the Albanian authorities to fulfilling their international human rights obligations, EVANS Yours sincerely. (Continued on page 3) of human rights is beyond every limit. Socialists and supporters of the Socialist Party in the Korçë district closely follow political developments in the country and regretfully observe successive violations of democratic laws and human rights committed by the current leadership of the Democratic Party. While the Socialist Party, its electorate and its unjustly imprisoned chairman ask only, once again, for messages of understanding and peace, which would help prevent the criminalization of every party and of politics, they call they continue to call for [unclear] and the homeland, therefore

From 31 July to 5 August, at the invitation of FRESSH, Michael M'Gough, a member of the Bureau of the Socialist Youth of the European Community and International Secretary of the Labour Youth of Ireland, and Juris Jurrjens, representative of the Labour Youth of Holland and a member of the Labour Party’s Foreign Policy Committee, visited our country. FRESSH spokesperson

Yesterday the American ship «USS Aleksandër Dallas» arrived at the port of Durrës. As the second ship of the Hamilton class, with great endurance and high cruising speed, it is ready to carry out humanitarian, military and police operations, as well as other environmental missions. After the ship was welcomed with a military ceremony, a meeting was held on board. The commander of the «USS Aleksandër Dallas» met with Rear Admiral Kuana, as well as with the deputy chief of the General Staff of our army, Major General Armand Vinani. The meeting discussed the very good relations between our two armed forces, as well as the cooperation and collaboration between our Naval Forces and the US Naval Forces. The American Coast Guard ship will stay for 5 days and will conduct a demonstration with our naval forces to exchange experience in Coast Guard service.

On the occasion of the departure of the first Albanian peacekeeping company for the USA, a ceremony was held yesterday at the Peacekeeping Forces Training Centre, at the Non-Commissioned Officers’ Academy in the capital. The ceremony was attended by Minister of Defence Safet Zhulali and the US ambassador in Tirana, Jaczph Lleik. The peacekeeping troops taking part, drawn up and ready to depart, as well as the other participants, were greeted by the deputy chief of the General Staff of the Albanian army. He considered the deployment to the USA for the multinational exercise, alongside peacekeeping troops from NATO member countries and partner countries, an important event. Major General Vinçani also praised the contribution of our military personnel and American specialists in preparing the peacekeeping contingent to a high professional standard. The US military attaché in Tirana, Colonel Stiven Bui, also gave an address, in which, among other things, he ... Jazpch Lleik. The participating troops paraded, drawn up and ready for departure. The units and General Staff of the Army, Major General Armand Vinçani. The preparation and [unclear] of the first parade participants were guaranteed ... Article 5 forcefully and representing very different political preferences are regularly published in the press, and where fierce polemics have become the norm. (Continued on page 3) 4)

Declaration of the Steering Committee of the Socialist Party of Vlorë Political commitment and civic concern for the fate of democracy, and for the danger it faces at this moment from the anti-national and illogical actions of Berisha’s regime, prompted the steering committee of the Socialist Party in Vlorë, at its meeting on 4.8.1995, to express its support for the thousands of prominent socialists of Vlorë in their concern over the treacherous action. This sufficiently confirms to us that the PD and its leader Fatos Nano have done [unclear] in this field; there is no democracy when it is filled only with convicted people, convicted people, there is no democracy when freedom and human rights are not respected, when legal institutions—from Parliament to the judiciary—are instrumentalized for political purposes, undermining them through political arbitrariness and absurd puppets, as in the handling of the Nano Case. The Socialist Party of Vlorë, concerned by recent actions that have undermined the dignity and standing of Parliament, [text unclear] the centralizing tendencies of Berisha’s power, protests and cannot accept these actions. The PS’s tolerance, respect

Declaration of the Steering Committee of the Socialist Party of Korçë Korçë Socialists and PS sympathizers in the Korçë district are following the political developments in the country closely and regretfully observe repeated violations of democratic laws and human rights by the current leadership of the PD. While the Socialist Party, its electorate and its chairman, who has been unjustly shackled, are asking only for peace, messages of understanding and peace—which [unclear] the avoidance of the criminalization of any party and of politics—and are calling for the same principles in Albania, on the other hand [text unclear] ... [unclear], an expression of a reactionary and obscurantist mentality. The use by the current leadership of the parliamentary majority to establish tendentious and anti-democratic laws, with the fundamental aim of legalizing a neo-dictatorship, has anti-democratic consequences and represents the most shameful abuse of the people’s vote. Recent developments, especially [unclear] ... the democratic laws that the deputies in the People’s Assembly [regarding] comrade Fatos Nano

Developments in the former Yugoslavia The Great Powers watched passively today as Croatian forces advanced during an offensive to crush the threatening rebellion that was disturbing the peace of the Serbs in the republic. They called for restraint, insisting that the conflict could be resolved only through talks and not by force. But the general response was more ambiguous and, unfortunately, contradictory. It revealed a lack of unity, which has complicated international efforts to deal with the breakup of the old Yugoslav federation. Russia, a traditional friend of the Serbs, accused the West of failing to prevent the Croatian military buildup before the attack against the Serbian enclave of Krajina. Zagreb’s military preparations were not given the proper consideration that would have prevented bloodshed, the Foreign Ministry declared. “Now it is very important to ensure a firm and impartial regime of the international community.” German Chancellor Helmut Kohl declared: “There is no military solution to conflicts. We must find a solution through talks. It seems very unlikely, but we must seize every opportunity for peace talks.” Kohl, in an interview with the newspaper “Bild,” said that Russian President Boris Jelcin was the only leader who could truly influence the Serbs. “Jelcin must understand that Russia’s name and standing depend on stopping this terrible war,” he said. Russia and Germany are members, along with Britain, France and the United States, of the five-country contact group, which has been trying to achieve results for

At midday on Friday, 4 August, SHIK officer Durim Çela, a member of Unit 326 (former Unit 326) and chief villain, was shot and killed. It has not yet been made known what the circumstances of the killing were. It appears only that the officer had returned from Puka. According to information sources, it is reported that the 23-year-old had been working in the Puka Unit in the sampost service; further details about his work have not been made known. Correspondent of “Zëri i popullit”