Difficult detention conditions

The Tirana European Institution in cooperation with the Ombudsman have brought to the attention of authorities the difficult situation created in the detention centers during 2012.

According to the monitoring report of the European Institution, although there are some improvements in the detention premises, the conditions there are very difficult, and the detainees are often obliged to sleep on the ground with insects around. This report recomments the closing of some detention centers.

“We have suggested the closing of some of these institutions, where there are enough conditions to guarantee human dignity. For example, the institutions of Kukes, Saranda and Berat, the airing system and the natural light is not enough. The national standard is four square meters for person, and this has not been guaranteed. There is humidity and unsuitable health conditions”, declared Marta Onorato, executive director of the institution.

As regards the transferring of detainees from Albanian to Greek prisons, Onorato expresses skepticism, saying that this would make the situation in the Albanian prisons even more difficult.

The report raises the concern of the health care of the detainees, since the entire system has only three psychiatric doctors, while 70% of the detainees suffer health problems of every kind.