Some cases of violations of the rights of Roma citizens

1. The case of two Roma teenagers from Driza of Fieri town who suffered the punishment of 5 months under the accusation of stealing some 20. 000 Lek (old). These 16- 17 year- old youngsters with the excuse that they do not know Albanian language are kept for a long time under detainment without having a legal trial process. Based on the Code of Penal Procedure everyone has the right to be provided with a lawyer, when the family has no financial resources to do that, and second, everyone who does not know the Albanian language, shall be provided with an interpreter from the Court to serve him or her during the proceedings. This failure to action and negligence of justice authorities is a kind of discrimination towards the Roma teenagers. Finally, the prompt intervention and protection by the “Amaro Drom” Center led to the fact that the teenagers were released in the court room.
   
2. It is really a painful case that of 560 inhabitants who have become homeless after the demolition of their houses, based on a Municipal decision, under the plan for renovation of the territories of Lana river shores. Nobody took care of the families suffering the consequences of the plan. Some 50 families lodged a petition in our office asking for support and the solution of the problem. We immediately established contacts and lobbied to the national and international institutions in the country, and even addressed a letter to the President of the Republic. Further, we had contacts with the People’s Advocate, as well as with the Mayor of Tirana Municipality, Mr. Edi Rama. The result of our efforts was also the meeting with Mrs. Keti Treska, General Director of the General Department of Services and Human Resources. She promised us in that meeting that the Municipality would take care and find a solution to the problem of housing of the homeless inhabitants. This issue is underway, but we haven’t had a concrete solution yet.
   
3. Another case is that of the city of Durres where two Roma teenaged girls were abused and the person accused with this criminal offence is employed in the state police structures.

The conclusion: Our Center supported the two Roma girls to denounce the case and this police officer is now under detainment, but as it usually happens in Albania, the rule of law does not work as it should be.