World Organisation Against Torture P.O. Box 21 - 8, rue du Vieux Billard CH-1211 Geneva 8, Switzerland Geneva, April 2005 ISBN 2-88477-098-4 State Violence in Albania AN ALTERNATIVE REPORT TO THE UN COMMITTEE AGAINST TORTURE INCLUDING THE COMMITTEE'S CONCLUDING OBSERVATIONS A project presented by Albanian Human Rights Group Centre for Legal Civic Initiatives Children’s Human Rights Centre of Albania and coordinated by Director of Publication: Eric Sottas, Director Coordinator of the Project: Patrick Mützenberg . 5 State Violence in albania Contents Foreword ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 7 Part I: State Violence ................................................................................................................................................................ 11 1. Historical Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 13 1.1 The Communist Regime (1945 - 1990) ....................................................... 13 1.2 The Post-Communist Regime (1991 - 2005) ......................................... 16 2. Institutional Structures .................................................................................................................................... 17 2.1 Executive, Legislative and Judicial Structures ........................................ 17 2.2 The People's Advocate ................................................................................................................... 21 3. Legal Framework ......................................................................................................................................................... 23 3.1 International Instruments on Human Rights .......................................... 23 3.2 Constitutional and Criminal legislations ........................................................ 26 4. Prohibition of Torture and Other Ill-treatment ...................................................... 29 4.1 Legal Framework .................................................................................................................................... 29 4.2 Practice ................................................................................................................................................................... 31 5. Prohibition of Justifications of Torture .................................................................................... 36 5.1 Exceptional Circumstances .................................................................................................... 36 5.2 Superior Orders ........................................................................................................................................ 37 6. Arrest and Interrogation .................................................................................................................................. 38 6.1 Legal Framework .................................................................................................................................... 38 6.2 Practice ................................................................................................................................................................... 39 7. Custodial Detention and Detention ............................................................................................ 50 7.1 Legal Framework .................................................................................................................................... 50 7.2 Practice ................................................................................................................................................................... 50 8. Complaint, Investigation, Prosecution, Compensation and Rehabilitation ................................................................................................................................................................... 54 8.1 Complaint ......................................................................................................................................................... 54 8.2. Investigation .................................................................................................................................................. 55 8.3 Prosecution ...................................................................................................................................................... 55 8.4 Compensation and Rehabilitation ............................................................................. 56 Appendices ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 57 1. The Situation of Roma ..................................................................................................................... 57 2. The Situation of Former Political Prisoners ..................................................... 58 3. The Situation of Homosexuals ............................................................................................. 61 6 State Violence in albania Part II: State Violence against Women ....................................................................................................... 65 1. General Background .............................................................................................................................................. 67 2. Legal and Institutional Issues with regard to Torture and Ill-treatment of Women ..................................................................................................................... 71 2.1 Legal and Institutional Issues with regard to Sexual Violence 72 2.2 Legal Issues and Practice Regarding Trafficking in Women and Girls ......................................................................................................................... 75 2.3 Legal Issues and Practice Regarding Prostitution in the context of Trafficking in Women and Girls ........................... 81 3. Legal Protection of Women in Pre-Detention (police station) ......... 85 4. Medical Examination ........................................................................................................................................... 88 5. Prisons and Conditions of Imprisonment .......................................................................... 88 Part III: State Violence against Children ................................................................................................ 91 1. Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................................ 93 2. Definition of a child .............................................................................................................................................. 94 3. Torture ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 95 3.1 Practice ................................................................................................................................................................... 95 3.2 Complaint Procedures ................................................................................................................... 105 4. Children in Conflict with the Law .................................................................................................... 106 4.1 Structure, Organisation of the System ................................................................ 106 4.2 Legal Procedures ..................................................................................................................................... 107 4.3 Deprivation of Liberty .................................................................................................................. 110 5. State institutions .............................................................................................................................................................. 122 5.1 Schools .................................................................................................................................................................... 122 5.2 Boarding Schools ................................................................................................................................... 123 5.3 Correctional Institutions ........................................................................................................... 123 Recommendations of the coalition ..................................................................................................................... 125 General Recommendations .............................................................................................................................................. 125 Recommendations with Regard to Women ......................................................................................... 126 Recommendations with Regard to Children ...................................................................................... 127 Account of the Dialogue between the CAT and the Albanian ............................. 131 Delegation Conclusions