DASH's "scanner" for the government, the Albanian Helsinki Committee raises the alarm: High officials are intimidating justice

Erinda Skëndaj, executive director of the Albanian Helsinki Committee ((KShH) has commented on the latest DASH report, which says that corruption is widespread at all levels of the executive. She added that the premises for potential interventions to affect the independence of Among other things, Skëndaj suggested that the prosecution body create anonymous denunciation mechanisms, taking into account the fact that there are few denunciations from administration officials, who may feel intimidated or victimized in the opening of this report, which summarizes the general panorama, or the general conclusions, the fact that DASH does not see significant improvements in the situation of respect for human rights and freedoms in our country is not positive. The corruption part is a repetition of the conclusions also in the previous report, where it is said that corruption is widespread at all levels of the executive. On the other hand, compared to this situation, I believe that there are significant improvements in the fact that high-level officials, but also other public officials investigated and punished by special institutions against corruption and organized crime", she said. Further, Skëndaj was asked if we are in the conditions of political control or political influence on the judiciary. "The part of the independence of the judiciary, I believe, is seen from two perspectives. The first perspective is the pressure exerted by certain politicians who have investigative processes or criminal processes, which is the most visible and evident part. The heavy words, intimidating, and insulting statements coming from high-level officials, I believe they are seen as intimidating and potential to interfere in the activity of these institutions and why they have shown immunity and have shown in concrete cases their vision and desire to investigate and judge independently. Then the invisible part and related to the political situation in the country, is that in a country like Albania, beyond the reforms that have been taken, democracy is still unconsolidated, and the premises for potential interventions to influence the independence of the judicial system are existing in particular, it has highlighted the problems observed in the judicial system for concrete cases, such as the closure of the Turkish kindergarten and school, where the violation of the right to a regular judicial process has been highlighted", underlined Skëndaj. According to her, it is worrying that we do not have a complete sub-legal framework regarding the process of appointments and promotions, as it is one of the most delicate points facing the KLJ and KLP, as there have also been controversial appointments of family members within the same The prosecutor.