Translated from Albanian · Original article in Albanian →

In a move that evokes the shadows of Albania’s darkest communist past, the government has announced repressive measures that directly affect fundamental human rights.

This discussion of administrative sanctions comes as an open attempt to intimidate and subdue the voice of citizens.

The attempt to use border control systems as tools of political punishment against those who speak out against the government resembles the isolation methods of Enver Hoxha’s former regime, under which freedom of movement and the right to travel abroad were controlled through political approval by the Party-State.

Although officials say these measures target only individuals who commit acts of violence, the creation of administrative lists without a final ruling by independent judicial bodies constitutes a flagrant violation of the principles of the rule of law.

The Constitution of the Republic of Albania clearly establishes in Article 38 that freedom to travel abroad is inalienable and may be restricted only through due legal process, not through the will of those in power or the latest political package.

The rush to draw up “blacklists” and to strike at freedom of movement demonstrates an authoritarian approach and the government’s failure to address, through dialogue and transparency, the real causes of the civic revolt that has engulfed Tirana./ Kapitali.al