PRESS RELEASE
ALBANIAN DIASPORA TO DEMONSTRATE FOR THE
PROTECTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS FOR ALABNIANS IN MONTENGRO
ALBANIAN DIASPORA TO DEMONSTRATE FOR THE
PROTECTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS FOR ALABNIANS IN MONTENGRO
ROCHESTER HILLS, Michigan, September 6, 2007 – The Albanian American Diaspora is holding a peaceful rally on 10 September 2007 in Washington, DC to protest the Montenegrin government’s discriminatory policies towards its ethnic Albanian citizens and their political, social and economical rights. The rally will also highlight the continued illegal detainment and torture of Albanian political prisoners in Spuz, which include three American citizens.
The objective of this protest is to denounce, in the strongest terms, the physical and mental abuses that the Albanian prisoners are suffering in the hands of Montenegro’s political machine, which is designed to suppress all peoples that attempt to stand up and voice concerns over the government’s illicit actions. These actions are reminiscent of those found in the former communist Yugoslavian regime, where remnants are still alive today and being exercised on Albanians.
The Albanian-American Diaspora has rightfully argued and reasserted that Montenegro has continuously failed to adhere with international and European norms for minority rights, including the breach of its very own constitution. The international community is repeatedly exposing Montenegro as supporting a failed police and judicial system that systematically carries out torture and forced confessions against the Albanians in detention, and have been reported as following:
“The allegations include reports of repeated beatings, including with the intention of
forcing a confession, using hands, fists, feet, sticks and on one occasion, a computer
cable.” – Amnesty International, Oct. 2006
"During the three days spent in police custody, our clients were beaten, intimidated,
insulted and denied drinking water and food," – statement by defendants’ attorney
“…during the year, there were reports of arbitrary arrest, police mistreatment of suspects
in detention, police impunity, lengthy pretrial detention and delayed trials, substandard
prison conditions, corruption in law enforcement agencies and the judiciary…” – U.S. State Dept., 2006
Wherefore, the Albanian-American Diaspora demands the following remedies
The immediate release of all Albanian political prisoners;
Equal access and proportional representation for Albanians in national, regional and local levels of government institutions;
Respect for self-determination as a genuine right of Albanian minorities in Montenegro, guaranteed by the European and international standards for human and minority rights;
Revisit all state-controlled laws and systems on privatization, where new approaches on privatization should be initiated based on legitimate ownership in accordance with local and European laws;
Establish academic institutions responsible for creating scholastic programs and curriculums that meet the educational needs of Albanians;
Grant a comprehensive autonomous status for Albanian regions guaranteed by international law, which would prevent the further partition of Albanian lands;
Decentralize the authoritarian control of the central government and create a self-administrative regional government where Albanians are proportionally represented.
That Montenegrin government grants an independent and comprehensive municipal status for Tuz, which would prevent the partitioning of Malesia currently taking place.
Today, we urge the Montenegrin government to completely abandon their historical discriminatory attitudes and policies towards Albanians and allow them to exercise their inherited human rights without state impediment. Furthermore, we call upon European democracies and the United States to encourage Montenegro to comply with international and European laws designed to protect minorities at risk.
The Albanian-American Diaspora will continue to demand that the rights of Albanians in Montenegro are legitimately and rightfully protected, implemented, and incorporated into the policy-making structure of the national government. We will tirelessly commit our efforts to this cause until Montenegro affords Albanians the same rights as are enjoyed by its Slavic majority population.
The objective of this protest is to denounce, in the strongest terms, the physical and mental abuses that the Albanian prisoners are suffering in the hands of Montenegro’s political machine, which is designed to suppress all peoples that attempt to stand up and voice concerns over the government’s illicit actions. These actions are reminiscent of those found in the former communist Yugoslavian regime, where remnants are still alive today and being exercised on Albanians.
The Albanian-American Diaspora has rightfully argued and reasserted that Montenegro has continuously failed to adhere with international and European norms for minority rights, including the breach of its very own constitution. The international community is repeatedly exposing Montenegro as supporting a failed police and judicial system that systematically carries out torture and forced confessions against the Albanians in detention, and have been reported as following:
“The allegations include reports of repeated beatings, including with the intention of
forcing a confession, using hands, fists, feet, sticks and on one occasion, a computer
cable.” – Amnesty International, Oct. 2006
"During the three days spent in police custody, our clients were beaten, intimidated,
insulted and denied drinking water and food," – statement by defendants’ attorney
“…during the year, there were reports of arbitrary arrest, police mistreatment of suspects
in detention, police impunity, lengthy pretrial detention and delayed trials, substandard
prison conditions, corruption in law enforcement agencies and the judiciary…” – U.S. State Dept., 2006
Wherefore, the Albanian-American Diaspora demands the following remedies
The immediate release of all Albanian political prisoners;
Equal access and proportional representation for Albanians in national, regional and local levels of government institutions;
Respect for self-determination as a genuine right of Albanian minorities in Montenegro, guaranteed by the European and international standards for human and minority rights;
Revisit all state-controlled laws and systems on privatization, where new approaches on privatization should be initiated based on legitimate ownership in accordance with local and European laws;
Establish academic institutions responsible for creating scholastic programs and curriculums that meet the educational needs of Albanians;
Grant a comprehensive autonomous status for Albanian regions guaranteed by international law, which would prevent the further partition of Albanian lands;
Decentralize the authoritarian control of the central government and create a self-administrative regional government where Albanians are proportionally represented.
That Montenegrin government grants an independent and comprehensive municipal status for Tuz, which would prevent the partitioning of Malesia currently taking place.
Today, we urge the Montenegrin government to completely abandon their historical discriminatory attitudes and policies towards Albanians and allow them to exercise their inherited human rights without state impediment. Furthermore, we call upon European democracies and the United States to encourage Montenegro to comply with international and European laws designed to protect minorities at risk.
The Albanian-American Diaspora will continue to demand that the rights of Albanians in Montenegro are legitimately and rightfully protected, implemented, and incorporated into the policy-making structure of the national government. We will tirelessly commit our efforts to this cause until Montenegro affords Albanians the same rights as are enjoyed by its Slavic majority population.
BUSES LEAVE FROM DETROIT on Sunday September 9th at approximately 7:00 p.m. For more information and/or to reserve your seat, please call 248-808-0008.
9 comments:
Let's rock 'n' roll baby -- its time to shake things up!!
MONTENEGRO HERE WE COME!!!!!
pershendetje shqipeeeeeeee!!!!!
Either lead, follow, or get out the way!!!
My friends and I are bussing our way from Detroit to DC -- the only way to travel!
We hope Valhovic has enough plates because we're stopping in for breakfast -- MALESIA IS HUNGRY!!
It's imperative that we have as many people as possible show up for this rally. Politics by numbers is the force here.
We are working on a meeting with high officials from the State Department, where we will direct the brunt of our grievances to. They have been lax in responding to us in the past but we believe that by continuously pressuring them to act they will have to look at the issues sooner than later.
For those of you in NY -- we need more of you to show, you're numbers in the past have been disappointing. This rally touches upon greater issues at risk than just the political prisoners, it appeals for the protection of our people, property, and future of our existance in Malesia and other Albanian territory currently occupied by the Slavic regime.
For those organizations that have decided to stay distant/silent -- i.e. NAAC and Levizja -- the very existance and objectives of your organizations go hand-in-hand with what is going on with the Albanians in Montenegro and hence why this demonstration is taking place. You should have representatives at the forefront of this rally, for if you call yourselves Albanians, and as a result created institutions to exhibit that, then you not attending creates hypocracy in all institutional activities you engage in -- home and abroad.
See y'all in Washington!
A lot of Albanians say that they are patriotic, and care about what is going on back in Malesia but ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS! I am 100% American, and a friend of the family of the imprisoned men, and I have seen first hand the lack of support from the Albanian community here in the U.S. Its sad. Only a handfull of people have done anything to lend support to the prisoners. As Albanians you ALL need to get your selfs to DC on Monday and let your voices be heard. These men have been very active in the past when it came to helping their people, and they deserve the same respect. Make some noise, so that we may set these men free.
There has never been a "lack of support"; Detroit has always stepped up to the batter's box and delivered (unlike other organizations out there).
If there has been any lack it has come from Malesia. They are the ones that need to step up and take the lead. But alas, they are afraid! And that is all I will say about that.
There have been several demonstartions held on their behalf (prisoners), including this coming Monday.
Do not fret, there will be a grand crowd on 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue!!
Good. I just hope we can all come together to get this problem solved.
is 500 Albanians grand enough for you all?
If your region becomes autonomous or independent the next step would be the unification with our fatherland, Albania
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