The People’s Advocate raises the concern/ 57 minor and 5 persons with mental problems were escorted to the police

11 Dhjetor 2020, 22:28, English CNA

The People?s Advocate has made a preliminary report of inspections in police stations and health centers after the protests of the last two days. Stressing the need for the peaceful exercise of the right to protest and seeking restraint, the People?s Advocate finds that the number of escorts has been high:124 people, of whom 57 are minors.

?The minors were released after their verification, and at the time of the inspection only 2 minors were found arrested, one 16 years old and the other 17 years old. This is a number several times higher than the escort and detention capacities in the local directorates and commissariats of the capital, which can accommodate only 33 escorts and about 25 arrested. These are capacities in normal condition, without considering additional distancing measures due to health emergencies.

At the time of the inspection, there were a total of 52 arrested. The security rooms were equipped with disinfectants, and in some of them there were masks, but they were not in sufficient numbers for them. Of the detainees, there were only a limited number of allegations of violent acts by police officers, but there were no formal complaints filed to enable further investigation of our institution.

The People?s Advocate also stated that during the escorts by the police of the participants in the recent protests, some minors under the 14-year old were accompanied and that the escort procedures for them presented some problems for which an in-depth investigation will be carried out.

All detainees were interviewed for their actions in protest. Some of them claimed to have taken part in the protest, but didn?t commit violent acts. Some others claimed to have been bystanders and didn?t take part in the protest.

The 2 minors, when asked if a lawyer or a psychologist were present during the interrogation, replied that they were only asked by the police officer, who pressured them to admit that they had committed violent acts. They claimed that the lawyer came at a second moment and signed the documents they were carrying with them (arrest report, personal search report, and the letter of rights of the minor under investigation)./ CNA.al

Avokati i Popullit ngre shqetësimin/ Janë shoqëruar 57 të mitur dhe pesë persona me probleme mendore