Right to privacy

In July and September, an external cyberattack on Albania’s main state systems and servers revealed important classified and unclassified information and personal data relating to Albanian citizens. There were concerns that the government had failed to provide adequate protection against these incidents.

Freedom of expression

Journalists

In September the Prosecutor’s Office banned all media outlets from publishing information from files that had been hacked from Albanian servers and computer systems and then leaked online, and threatened to launch criminal investigations against offenders and block news websites.

Due to the government’s failure to protect citizens’ data, in April a journalist’s personal data was downloaded by a public notary without his consent, after he had published information about the vetting process of a former prosecutor who was formerly married to the notary.

In July, the prime minister banned a journalist for three months from participating in his press conferences, saying that he should be sent for “re-education” and accusing him of unethical behaviour.

Cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment

In April, the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture published a report on a recent visit to Albania to examine the situation of forensic psychiatric patients in the country, currently accommodated unlawfully in the prison system. The Committee stressed the urgent need for a permanent solution for the accommodation and treatment of such patients by creating a specialized forensic psychiatric facility, as required by mental health legislation.

In October, a 32-year-old man died in a police station in Tirana after he was arbitrarily detained. Although he was suffering from a health condition requiring immediate treatment, the police refused to send him to hospital immediately. The police also unlawfully failed to register the victim in the official registers.

Discrimination

LGBTI people

LGBTI people remained subject to discrimination and harassment. In May, a transgender man was physically attacked by a group in the street because of their gender identity.

Roma and Egyptian people

Roma and Egyptian people were subjected to discrimination and segregation in education from an early age. In May, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that the rights of six Roma and Egyptian families had been violated when their children had suffered indirect discrimination and segregation in the Naim Frashëri primary school, in Korçë.

Violence against women and girls

Violence against women remained widespread, with protection orders not being effectively implemented. Dozens of women were killed by their partners or family members. A report confirmed that women candidates and members of parliament encountered different forms of abuse within political parties, including offensive language or insults, speech interruption, threats, and sexual harassment.

Right to a fair trial

In July, the government approved judicial reforms reducing the number of courts in the country. There were concerns that this would make access to justice more expensive and more difficult.