Comment: Albanian Police Cannot Justify the Arrests of Journalists under Domestic Law
The arrest of journalists X hoi Malësia and Qamil Xhani during the protests of December 2020 was another blow to freedom of speech and press in Albania. The reaction of local and international organizations was immediate. This act violated a right protected not only by the Constitution of the Republic of Albania, but by international conventions towards which Albania has an obligation to strictly implement. The case was reported to the Council of Europe’s “Platform to promote the protection of journalism and safety of journalists” , and recently the State Police responded to the clarification request sent by the CoE. For those who are familiar with the protection of free speech and press, the clarification in question leaves much to be desired, and suggests that the institutions which are supposed to guarantee the respect and protection of this right, do not recognize the law to which they themselves refer. In both cases, Albanian institutions justify the arrest of journalists Malës
