The Ombudsman of Albania, Endri Shabani, speaking from Pogradec in a statement to the media, addressed complaints submitted to the Ombudsman’s institution by imprisoned citizens. He stated that although public attention is mainly focused on famous inmates, priority should be given to citizens suffering from health problems and living in inhumane conditions.
He emphasized that in the last four months alone, five people have died in prisons, two of them from cardiac arrest. According to him, monitoring carried out in prisons has revealed cases where inmates waited up to two months to meet with a cardiologist.
Shabani added that political and media attention is mainly directed toward well-known and high-profile prisoners. According to him, they not only have private lawyers but also a kind of “public advocacy,” while ordinary citizens remain voiceless.
“I always listen to people who are in need, but I am always careful to prioritize those who need it most. At the top of the list, for me, are people who have no voice.
I know that attention is mainly focused on those who are imprisoned and famous, but for me the priority is citizens who are being held in prison without a final court decision; citizens suffering from health problems and living in inhumane conditions; elderly citizens held in prison under unacceptable conditions, often without a final decision.
For me, the priority is to speak more about those who have no voice.
Without a doubt, imprisoned citizens during the rule of Ilir Meta or any other administration have submitted complaints to the Ombudsman’s institution and have been treated the same as everyone else. But for me, famous prisoners are not the priority. The priority is the citizens mentioned in official reports by international and Albanian organizations — reports that anyone can read.
My focus is on the inhumane conditions in which citizens with health problems are currently being held in correctional institutions in Durrës, Lezhë, or elsewhere. These are people with serious health conditions who are kept in inhumane conditions, without proper medical treatment and facing unjustifiable delays in access to healthcare services.
Only in the last four months, five people have died in prisons. Five. Two of them from cardiac arrest.
From the monitoring we have conducted in prisons, we have identified cases where inmates waited up to two months to see a cardiologist. In such situations, two months can mean the difference between life and death.
This is the social priority. And this is happening while many of them are still under investigation, without a final court decision. This is a serious violation of human rights. It is a practice that continues in many correctional institutions.
This must change, because we are three times above the European average. In Europe, less than 25% of people in prisons are pre-trial detainees. The vast majority are individuals convicted with final court decisions.
We are focused precisely on this issue. Unfortunately, political and media attention goes to well-known prisoners, who are a minority but also the loudest. Unfortunately, they have not only private lawyers but also a kind of ‘public advocacy,’ while ordinary citizens remain voiceless,” he said among other remarks.
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