Tirana, on 27/10/2003

                          Arjan Torka  from the Greek border police

  To:                        Fabrice Kellens

                          Council of Europe

           CTP 

Dear Mr. Kellens,

Recently we made you present our concern in relation to several cases when Greek police of border posts have maltreated the Albanian citizens. In addition to those cases, on 06.10.2003, it is recorded another case of maltreatment in the Greek territory by the police of Kapshtica Check point. The citizen Arjan Torka from Gramsh provided with a regular Albanian passport and a regular Greek visa passed the border check point of Kapshitca (Albania). After the control by the Albanian police round 5:00 p.m  he went to the Greek check point for the usual  control , to get the relevant stamp. One of the Greek police officers pretended that the passport of this Albanian citizen was falsified. On that reason they sent him back to Albania. The citizen Arjan Torka, convinced about the regularity of passport tried to explain to the greek police officers that it was a regular passport and that he shouldn’t be stopped. One of the police officers called three other colleagues that drag Arjan Torka along the ground until their office wherein they started to punch and kick him in different parts of the body hurting him. Latter they torn his passport up and sent him back to the Albanian territory under the threat not to tell anything about the violence exerted.  Once arrived in Albanian territory he made an indictment about the violence and the fact his passport was torn up, and the Police Commisariat of Devoll (Border Region) went on with the recording of the case. This case of human right violation by Greek police is also reflected in the Albanian media. We also point out that the head of Devoll Police Commisariat and the Head of County Police of Korça also confirmed the allegations of the injured person. It was impossible for the Albanian citizen to know the names of the police officers who maltreated him.

Honourable Mr. Kellens,

Despite the fact that the cases of maltreatment of the Albanian citizens by the Greek police are forwarded to the Greek Ombudsman Despite that the highest Greek state authorities do not approve this violence, there are still elements of discrimination by the Greek police towards the Albanian emigrants, which is totally incompatible with the international standards.

Assuring you for my gratitude and further cooperation, I remain looking forward to your intervention to stop this violence of the Greek border police towards the Albanian citizens.

Please, accept assurances of my highest consideration,