Tirana, November 01 (Albania Journal) – Albania’s Ombudsman has stressed that police must use force only when necessary, lawful and proportionate, emphasising that the same standards apply to every protest.
In a social media post, the Ombudsman’s Office reported that tear gas and water cannons were used by four specially equipped police vehicles during yesterday’s protest.
The Ombudsman’s monitoring team inspected Police Stations No. 1, 3 and 4 and collected information from Stations No. 2, 5 and 6.
According to the institution, nine people were escorted to police stations during the protest. Six were taken to Station No. 1 and three to Station No. 3. Four of those detained were minors.
“Katër të rriturit në Komisariatin nr. 1 deklaruan se ishin kalimtarë dhe nuk kishin marrë pjesë në protestë”, the Ombudsman’s Office reported, stating that four adults at Station No. 1 said they were passers-by and had not participated in the protest.
The institution also reported that two minors at Station No. 1 were interviewed in the presence of a psychologist and representatives of the Agency for the Protection of Children. Their families were notified.
However, the monitoring team again found that the police station lacked an audiovisual system to record interviews.
Ombudsman Issues Recommendations
Following its monitoring, the Ombudsman recommended a full review of the use of force during the protest, including an assessment of whether the use of tear gas and water cannons was necessary, lawful and proportionate.
The institution also called for the installation of audiovisual recording systems for police interviews and proper documentation of the specific reasons for taking each person to a police station. It stressed that everyone detained must be informed of the reasons for their detention.
Additionally, the Ombudsman called for measures to ensure that every police officer can be identified at all times, including through identification numbers displayed on uniforms.
The Ombudsman’s Office invited anyone who believes their rights were violated during the protest or while being escorted to a police station to submit an individual complaint to the institution.
