Comment: Outdated Law Hinders Albanians’ Right to Protest
The right to peacefully assemble is a right protected under the Constitution of Albania and several international human right instruments, such as the European Convention on Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, both ratified by the Albanian parliament. As such, we have an obligation to comply with the standards set forth by these two documents. However, the Albanian law “On Public Gatherings” (LOPG) of 2001 is not in compliance with these standards. Firstly, the LOPG requires organizers to notify the police of the protest. The police must authorize it by informing the organizers within the time limits under Articles 5 and 7, and only then the protest is considered to be legitimate. Under international human rights law domestic authorities can request advance notification. This is confirmed by the Human Rights Committee under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). The aim is to pr
