European Asylum Support Office EASO Country of Origin Information Report Albania Country Focus November 2016 SUPPORT IS OUR MISSION European Asylum Support Office EASO Country of Origin Information Report Albania Country Focus November 2016 Europe Direct is a service to help you find answers to your questions about the European Union. Freephone number (*): 00 800 6 7 8 9 10 11 (*) Certain mobile telephone operators do not allow access to 00800 numbers or these calls may be billed. More information on the European Union is available on the Internet (http://europa.eu). Print ISBN: 978-92-9494-276-0 doi: 10.2847/079273 BZ-05-16-012-EN-C PDF ISBN: 978-92-9494-277-7 doi: 10.2847/112748 BZ-05-16-012-EN-N © European Asylum Support Office 2016 Neither EASO nor any person acting on its behalf may be held responsible for the use which may be made of the information contained herein. EASO COI REPORT ALBANIA: COUNTRY FOCUS - 3 Acknowledgements EASO would like to acknowledge the Netherlands, Immigration and Naturalisation Service, Office for Country Information and Language Analysis (OCILA) as the co-author of this report, together with EASO. The following departments reviewed this report, together with EASO: Ireland, Research and Information Unit/ RDC Legal Aid Board; Slovak Republic, Ministry of the Interior of the Slovak Republic, Migration Office, Department of Documentation and Foreign Cooperation. 4 — EASO COI REPORT ALBANIA: COUNTRY FOCUS Contents Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................... 3 Contents .................................................................................................................................... 4 Disclaimer .................................................................................................................................. 6 Glossary and Abbreviations ....................................................................................................... 7 Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 9 Methodology ......................................................................................................................... 9 Map Albania ............................................................................................................................ 11 1. State structure ..................................................................................................................... 12 1.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................. 12 1.2 Constitution ................................................................................................................... 13 1.3 Executive branch ........................................................................................................... 13 1.3.1 President ................................................................................................................ 13 1.3.2 Government ........................................................................................................... 13 1.4 Legislative branch: Assembly ........................................................................................ 14 1.5 Administration............................................................................................................... 15 2. Socio-political landscape ..................................................................................................... 16 2.1 General .......................................................................................................................... 16 2.2 Political parties .............................................................................................................. 16 2.3 Elections ........................................................................................................................ 17 2.3.1 1991 to 2005 .......................................................................................................... 17 2.3.2 Parliamentary elections 2005 ................................................................................ 17 2.3.3 Parliamentary elections 2009 ................................................................................ 17 2.3.4 Parliamentary elections 2013 ................................................................................ 18 2.3.5 Local elections 2015 .............................................................................................. 19 2.4 Civil society .................................................................................................................... 19 2.5 Media ............................................................................................................................ 20 2.5.1 Newspapers ........................................................................................................... 20 2.5.2 Television and radio ............................................................................................... 20 2.5.2 Internet .................................................................................................................. 21 3. Rule of Law and State Protection ........................................................................................ 22 3.1 Police ............................................................................................................................. 22 3.2 Army .............................................................................................................................. 23 3.3 Intelligence/Security forces .......................................................................................... 23 3.4 Corruption / fight against organised crime ................................................................... 24 EASO COI REPORT ALBANIA: COUNTRY FOCUS - 5 3.4.1 Corruption .............................................................................................................. 24 3.4.2 Links between politics and crime .......................................................................... 25 3.4.3 Fight against organised crime ................................................................................ 25 3.5 Judiciary ......................................................................................................................... 26 3.5.1 Courts system ........................................................................................................ 26 3.5.2 Integrity of courts .................................................................................................. 27 4. Security situation ................................................................................................................. 29 5. Human rights situation ........................................................................................................ 31 5.1 Legal context and institutional framework ................................................................... 31 5.2 General situation ........................................................................................................... 31 5.2.1 Freedom of expression and information ............................................................... 31 5.2.2 Freedom of religion ............................................................................................... 32 5.2.3 Freedom of association and assembly................................................................... 33 5.2.4 Freedom of torture ................................................................................................ 33 5.2.5 Detention ............................................................................................................... 33 5.3 Specific groups .............................................................................................................. 34 5.3.1 Ethnic and religious minorities .............................................................................. 34 5.3.2 Journalists and media ............................................................................................ 35 5.3.3 Victims of blood feuds ........................................................................................... 36 5.3.4 Women .................................................................................................................. 37 5.3.5 Children .................................................................................................................. 38 5.3.6 Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons (LGBTI) ........................ 40 5.3.7 Trafficked persons ................................................................................................. 41 5.3.8 Returnees ............................................................................................................... 42 Bibliography ............................................................................................................................. 44 Terms of Reference ................................................................................................................. 54 6 — EASO COI REPORT ALBANIA: COUNTRY FOCUS Disclaimer This report was written according to the EASO COI Report Methodology (2012)(1). It is based on carefully selected sources of information. All sources used are referenced. To the extent possible, and unless otherwise stated, all information