GREEK HELSINKI MONITOR
(Greek National Committee of the International Helsinki Federation)

& MINORITY RIGHTS GROUP - GREECE
(Greek Affiliate of Minority Rights Group International)

ROMA OFFICE

P.O. Box 51393, GR-14510 Kifisia, Greece Tel. 30-1-620.01.20; Fax: 30-1-807.57.67; E-mail: office@greekhelsinki.gr

Mr. Serafim Fyntanidis
Director of “Eleftherotypia”

27 June 1997

Mr. Director,

We have read with surprise in the today’s newspaper the correspondence of Mr. Takis Diamantis about the abduction of one of the leaders of “Omonia” Mr. Theodoris Bezianis, where it was reported - only in “E” - that the abductors were “probably four Roma”.

Even if the criminals who committed the condemnable [regardless of the motives] abduction belonged to the minority of Roma - A FACT NOT MENTIONED BY ANY MASS MEDIA OR NEWS AGENCY- we do not understand why this reference was necessary. Especially since it is clearly mentioned in the just published report of the European Roma Rights Center on the the Roma in Albania, that this minority is persecuted in Albania “for joining the Greek-dominated Unity Party for Human Rights” [see the related press release below].

We believe that a newspaper such as “E” that fights racism -as shown by today’s “political backstage” comment under the title “Unknown” - should not drift in such references. Therefore, we request that you make the necessary correction in one of your next issues.

Yours sincerely,

Nasos Theodoridis
Legal Advisor

Announcement of Publication:

No Record of the Case: Roma in Albania

The European Roma Rights Center (ERRC) announces publication of the report No Record of the Case: Roma in Albania. The ERRC is an international public interest law organisation which monitors the human rights situation of Roma and provides legal defence in cases of human rights abuse. Throughout 1996 and 1997, the ERRC conducted in-depth research into the situation of Roma in Albania. The report is the result of this research.

The ERRC documented numerous instances of police ill-treatment of Roma (beatings, arbitrary detention and extortion of money). The ERRC found that there are instances of hostage-taking by the police, often of family members of suspects. Finally, the ERRC documented two police killings of Roma and Jevgjit, a minority occupying a similarly marginalised position to Roma in Albanian society.

The upheavals of post-communist Albania have led to an unruly and chaotic land restitution and privatisation process. In the course of this, many Roma with whom the ERRC met have been evicted from land on which they had been living for long periods of time. Many of these evictions were carried out with violence by groups of ethnic Albanians. In the central Albanian town of Berat, all of the

Roma with whom the ERRC spoke had previously lived in flats in the centre of town, but as a result of violent evictions, now reside on a mud flat on the perimeter.

Elsewhere, Roma report violent attack which bears no relation to property issues. In one such incident, a 15-year-old Romani boy named Fatmir Haxhiu was burned to death in July 1996 by armed men intent on stealing his clothes and some money. In cases of attacks such as these on Roma, the police often act passively or not at all, and legal remedy is not secured.

Roma in Albania are, additionally, exposed to discriminatory tendencies in the allocation of housing, in the school system, and in the military. The ERRC documented instances of physical violence in the military, and the failure of military tribunals to correct the violation. The ERRC also noted that, according to Roma, numerous obstacles prevent Romani children from obtaining proper schooling: Romani children are subjected to differential treatment by teachers, other children threaten, beat and taunt them, and schools are far from Roma settlements.

Roma in southern Albania also report abuses of their political rights. Some Roma have evidently been harassed and abused by the Albanian authorities for joining the Greek-dominated Unity Party for Human Rights. Other Roma report having been prevented from voting in the October 1996 municipal elections. All over Albania, Roma reported that they are not adequately represented.

On the basis of its findings, the ERRC has made a series of recommendations to the Albanian government. The ERRC urges that all of the following policies be adopted in full:

1. Investigate reported cases of corruption in the police force, particularly instances of the targeting of Roma for the extortion of money and unlawful confiscations. Bring to justice those responsible for these ongoing forms of abuse.

2. Investigate instances of police brutality, including beatings, unlawful detention and police killings reported by the ERRC. Bring those responsible to justice.

3. Take significant steps to reform the police, the investigation and the procuracy, focusing on discrepancies between international norms for law enforcement procedure and current practice in Albania.

4. Initiate programs, in co-operation with Roma leaders, which enable Roma greater access to law enforcement bodies and competent judicial authorities. Initiate affirmative action and own-policing programs within the Roma community.

5. Investigate extra-legal expulsions of Roma from housing and settlements and bring the guilty parties to justice.

6. Provide suitable compensatory housing for those Roma displaced by the process of property restitution and privatisation.

7. Investigate the violent conflict at Levan, taking into account prior harassment by the non-Roma community and bias of the local police. Bring to justice those responsible for the killings and provocation.

8. Bring to justice the killers of Fatmir Haxhiu.

9. Take significant steps to increase oversight in the distribution of social welfare, the administration of schools and among the officer corps of the Albanian military establishment. Investigate allegations of discrimination at local authorities, schools and in the military.

10. Take significant steps, in conjunction with Roma and human rights NGOs, to introduce anti-racism curricula and programs in schools and in the media.

***

Copies of No Record of the Case are available from the ERRC at a cost of 8 US dollars per copy. Payment by wire transfer to the following account is preferred:

B 110772, OTP Rt.
1085-Budapest, Jozsef krt. 33
Hungary

European Roma Rights Center
P.O.Box 10/24 - 1525 Budapest - Hungary -
Phone: + (36 1) 327-98-77 Fax: + (36-1) 138-37-27