Date: Mon, 5 Dec 1994 22:06:56 +0100 (NFT) From: Bj|rn Skolander GAY AND LESBIAN RIGHTS IN ALBANIA A few weeks ago Scott Long, Hungary, sent a request to euro-queer for actions regarding the human rights violations of gay men in Albania. The following was the first few lines of his message: "On the night of October 14, three members of the newly-formed Gay Albania Society (Shoqata Gay Albania) were picked up by police in Tirana, Albania. They were beaten severely for several hours by the police= , who demanded that they reveal the names of the president and other members of the group. One person had his leg broken during the torture sessions." I informed a couple of Swedish MP's as well as the Prime Minister Ingvar Carlsson, and the Minister for Foreign Affairs Lena Hjelm-Wahlen. Also the Albanian Embassy in Stockholm and Albanin MP's were informed. To day I recieved a letter from the Prime Minister with the following reaction (translated from Swedish) to the situation for gays in Albania. Bjorn Skolander Sweden bjorn.skolander@nordiska.uu.se -------------------------------------- PRIME MINISTER INGVAR CARLSSON SWEDEN 1 december 1994 Bjo=94rn Skoland= er Kantorsgatan18:371 754 25 UPPSALA Thank you for your fax giving information about violations against gays in Albania. It is, as you know, only four years since the communist regime in Albania fell, and the country could begin the arduous road away from oppression and isolation from the surrounding world. Seen from this perspective it must be said, that Albania has made important progress. Still the country, however, has a long way to go before democracy and the respect for human rights has been consolidated. During this latest year alarming reports have come regarding human rights violations in Albania, especially concerning general imperfections of the functioning of the legal system, but also in form of authorities' violations against certain groups in the Albanian society, including homosexuals. The Swedish government has on several occasions demanded, that this unsatisfactory state of affairs has to be dealt with. The government has also asked the Swedish Embassy in Rome, which is responsible even for Albania, to investigate the circumstances regarding the specific case of violation, which is referred to in your fax. Sweden will even in future, in international forums and through bilateral contacts, try to influence Albania to improve its respect for human rights, including the situation of gays. At the preparation of Albania's applicatio= n for membership of the European Council the respect for human rights will of course be dealt with thoroughly. With Best Wishes Ingvar Carlsson Prime Minister