One month after joining the Council of Europe July 4, ’95 Martinez: “Europe begins in Albania” July 31, ’95 “AMNESTY”: “FATOS NANO is a prisoner of conscience” Does Europe begin in Albania? Even Burma is ahead of Albania! August 20, ’95, everyone will ask: Who betrays the ALBANIANS? Just one month after becoming a full member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Albania is once again facing the harshest sanctions. The country that on June 29 received the unanimous votes of the CoE, votes that enabled it to rank first among member countries, is now in a new situation: on July 31 of this year it is acknowledged as “THE ONLY COUNTRY IN EUROPE WITH PRISONERS OF CONSCIENCE.” On July 4, 1995, at the official ceremony admitting Albania to the CoE in Strasbourg, Miguel Angel Martinez, President of the CoE, said symbolically: “Europe begins in Albania.” But just one month later, official Tirana is forcing every European official to reject this pleasant symbolism for Albanians. The CoE, the temple that rises “...early and unconditionally.” The sensational letter has also arrived simultaneously at the chancelleries of Europe, where “Amnesty” is an observer: the Council of Europe, the World Inter-Parliamentary Union, and the European Parliament. Thus, for the second time, the organization most trusted and most cited by Europe’s most important institutions, which has the exclusive right to designate someone a “prisoner of conscience,” has worsened the diplomatic position of official Tirana! On June 27, Albanian membership was strongly supported by a “Report on Civil Liberties and Human Rights” prepared by “Amnesty,” which assessed that these freedoms and rights had deteriorated in Albania. But while the concern was being allayed with evidence …of membership, everyone hoped that this unanimous acceptance would oblige Albania to become a worthy member of this organization, Ilir Meta continues. But Meta says that, unfortunately, the opposite of what everyone expected has happened. “The Albanian authorities thought they had fooled Europe, so the reaction of ‘Amnesty International’ concerning freedoms and human rights in Albania, and especially the ‘Nano case,’ is only natural,” says Ilir Meta. Meanwhile, Albania, the “first,” has also become the CoE’s “only” member with prisoners of conscience. Ilir Meta says that “Albania is not only the sole European country with prisoners of conscience, but also one of the few countries in the world with the leader of the opposition in prison.” For him, the current Albanian authorities must respect the obligations Albania assumed upon joining the CoE. But while the opposition political spectrum has reacted in this way, Tritan Shehu, speaking on behalf of the governing party, says that “his opinion is in line with the opinions of the Albanian judiciary.” Meanwhile, “Amnesty International,” in its letter to Berisha, says that “after examining the file in the ‘Nano case,’ we find that the charges against him are politically motivated.” Shehu says that his personal conviction is that “it seems to him that this organization does not know the situation in Albania, is not well-informed, or perhaps has been informed by some malicious people who want to undermine democratic developments in Albania, to create as much…” Tirana is forcing every European official not to accept this symbolism so pleasant for Albanians. The CoE, the temple rising on the pillars of “Human Rights and Freedoms,” seems to be waiting until August 20, the day for verifying whether the official promises made by the President of the Albanian Parliament, Pjetër Arbnori, have been fulfilled. Meanwhile, to the issues raised with the Council of Europe by “Amnesty International” and signed by Arbnori is being added the Albanian issue most discussed in Europe’s chancelleries: the “Nano case.” On July 31, the world’s largest organization for the protection of human rights and freedoms—with 1.1 million members in 170 countries—designated Socialist leader Fatos Nano a “prisoner of conscience” and called on Albanian President Sali Berisha for his “immediate release.” Albania. But while the shock was being averted by the CoE’s goodwill in accepting Albania into its fold, “Amnesty” has once again caused a shock, seriously compromising Arbnori’s signature in Strasbourg. It was Pjetër Arbnori himself who, after returning to Tirana from Strasbourg—even though he had signed on behalf of the Albanian state—made unprecedented “harakiri” of the commitments he had undertaken before the CoE at a celebratory meeting of the National Council of the Democratic Party. By proclaiming his successes, Arbnori turned the Albanian administration’s budget-makers back, so that they would no longer remember his signatures. “We have appreciated Europe’s great efforts to admit Albania to the CoE, but the Albanian authorities have no intention of keeping their word. This is what Ilir Meta, deputy chairman of the SP and chairman of the Eurosocialists, says.” After this, the diplomatic position of official Tirana is being called into question! The leaders of “Amnesty International” [sic] member of the CoE “this wholly undesirable and damaging image in Europe’s eyes is the result of the strategy of violence and tension pursued in Albania by the Berisha regime.” Meanwhile, Neritan Ceka, leader of the Democratic Alliance Party, says that he “will fully support Amnesty International’s position on the release of Fatos Nano.” Ceka sees Berisha’s imprisoned opposition leader as “an opportunity for Berisha and the party he leads to establish different relations with the opposition, to understand that the opposition is part of the Albanian state and that the state can also include cooperation between the government and the opposition.” Paskal Milo, deputy chairman of the Social Democratic Party, considers Amnesty International’s letter to Berisha “a signal that international institutions are once again sending to the Albanian state, and that they will continue to seek political solutions so that the country does not end up in a state of instability.” Thus, Albania is becoming isolated even in Asia or Africa. Meanwhile, Ilir Meta, deputy chairman of the SP, says that “Amnesty International’s reaction will be accompanied by reactions from other European institutions as well.” In September, the World Inter-Parliamentary Union will meet in Bucharest and will also examine the “Nano case”; naturally, a new resolution is expected to emerge from it. The “Amnesty International” statement concerning the imprisonment of Socialist leader Fatos Nano says: “lir Metën. Meanwhile Albania—before all and the only CoE him, not end up in a state of instability.’ ERION BRAÇE

At the invitation of FRESSH chairman Ilir Meta, the President of the Socialist Youth of Belgium, Roland Gosio, arrived in Albania yesterday for a visit lasting several days. At the invitation of FRESSH chairman Ilir Meta, arrived in Albania yesterday for a visit lasting several days. FRESSH Spokesperson

Our interview The “Nano case” is well known in Europe — Conversation with Juris Jurrines, representative of the Dutch Labour Youth and a graduate intern at the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs — After a very eventful day and an enthusiastic atmosphere at the rally organized by the Socialist Party in Tirana in support of F. Nano, the delegation of the Dutch Labour Youth and members of the Bureau of the EU Socialist Youth, who had taken part in the rally, accompanied by FRESH chairman Ilir Meta, Secretary General Monika Kryemadhi, and several members of the Tirana forum, met with the Durrës Eurosocialists. For hours, representatives of the European Left stayed at this forum, learning firsthand about the work of their organization. After a day packed with a wide variety of activities organized by FRESSH in Durrës, we interviewed Mr. Jurris Jurrines, representative of the Dutch Labour Youth. Question: Mr. Jurrines, when did you first hear about Albanian Eurosocialist youth? Answer: I first met the Eurosocialists about two years ago, at the meeting of the ECOSY Bureau of the Twelve in Copenhagen, where your chairman Ilir Meta was present and explained the situation in Albania to me. Question: How do you view the current relations between the Youth International and ECOSY and FRESSH? Answer: I think you have made very good efforts to find your place within the Youth International, and today many socialist and social-democratic organizations in Europe know and support you. Question: What are your impressions of yesterday’s rally, which you attended, including the demonstration and your support for our chairman, F. Nano? Answer: I am very impressed by the fact that in these three years you have done a great deal of work to bring so many people together and make them active in your movement. This shows that your party has strong roots and that it has a future in government. Question: The party newspaper in po- (To be continued on page 3)

— Conversation with journalists from the Albanian press — The well-known Polish dissident and journalist Adam Michnik in Tirana Thank you, Mr. Ambassador of Poland; Mr. President! It is a great honor for me to be here for the first time in Albania. I have no particular opinion to offer, but I am here because, as you know, the situation in Albania is very important for Europe and for the future of stability in the Balkans, and I am certain that contacts between Albanian and Polish newspapers are essential for both sides. Polish democracy is very young and weak. At the same time, I am sure that we have achieved successes in Poland—economic and political successes—but these successes are not yet lasting. I think we should discuss the stability of our successes. Life under conditions of democracy is very complex because the Marxist ideology that really found... Three or four words of theory are enough to explain. (Continued on page 3)

Fatos Nano must be free among us — Statement of the Executive Committee of the SP in Devoll — The Executive Committee of the Socialist Party, Devoll, has in recent days analyzed the new political situation created as a result of the Albanian Parliament’s approval, with the votes of the DP, of two additional amendments to the New Criminal Code and the Code of Criminal Procedure, with the sole aim of keeping PSSH chairman Fatos Nano in prison. The members and supporters of the SP, as well as honest people in Devoll, are outraged; they look with approval at ... the interests of the governing party is as antidemocratic as it is immoral. The scenario prepared by President Berisha and carried out by his other leaders, intended to act through the judicial bodies without himself suffering the consequences of political revenge, solely to keep Fatos Nano in prison, is being pursued through the force of law, with gnashing teeth from the forces seeking the country’s political destabilization. Only those who stage such actions want Albania to have a judiciary under unnecessary political tension. It is now clear to the Albanians and SP supporters of Devoll that in the next elections they will vote for the left, because they cannot be deceived; they took an oath on November 8, 1994, and cannot be deceived again. Therefore, this declaration also expresses their will, saying STOP to Berisha’s barbaric killers, and calling on international organizations, including the Council of Europe, to restrain the Berishist authorities, who exert pressure on the Socialist electorate every day. The voice of protest of thousands of SP members and supporters in Devoll is stronger than the chilling logic of the “... in power”; therefore, whoever understands this will know that Fatos Nano must be free, among us.

On 3.8.1995, in the city of Durrës, in the hall at the headquarters of the Socialist Party district branch, an assembly of the Durrës branch of FRESSH was held to discuss the tasks arising from the second FRESSH congress. Also attending the assembly was the deputy chairman of the SP and chairman of FRESSH, comrade Ilir Meta. Among other things, the FRESSH members who spoke at the assembly unanimously raised the question of how lawful the proceedings against one of the most active members of FRESSH Durrës, a young journalist at the newspaper “Zëri i Popullit,” comrade Mirela Ndini, are. On behalf of all the Eurosocialist youth of the Durrës district, this assembly calls on the prosecutor’s office to drop the criminal case against journalist Mirela Ndini, who, under such difficult circumstances, works in the service of developing democracy by exposing injustices committed by various representatives of the authorities. We are concerned and will follow, step by step, through all the democratic channels available to us within the framework of the rule of law, this very delicate and serious case involving our comrade Mirela Ndini, journalist at “Zëri i Popullit” and a member of the FRESSH Durrës steering committee.