Press resources from Strasbourg told recently that Shpetim Biba, Greece Albanian emigrant, could faced unprecedented trial against Greek judicial system and State at European Human Rights Court, which at last but not least, sanctioned that Greek State should pay, in accordance with paragraph 3 of article 6 of the Human Rights European Convent, GRD 3 millions for trial's expenses in favor of Albanian Emigrant!
Accused for illegal staying in Greece and arrested for homicide against another Albanian citizen during year 1993 Shpetim Biba has not been permitted to have advocacy, to have meals and water for different long times and was tortured and forced to sign a declaration in Greek, a not understandable language for him, and passed through the Calvary of Greek Courts!
Arriving to a low-key judicial procedures to a second level court Shpetim Biba advocate been sponsored by an Anglican Church in Greece, which has supported the case by financial means and by private investigations. The person charged by ACh to advocate Biba has been interrupted different times during the judicial process and asked provocatively for his personal religious convictions!
However, some Albanian friends have told him to make less willing to be defending to Greek Courts and to appeal to European Human Rights Court in Strasbourg. Greece is a full member of European Union, EU, and it could make sense. EU has contributed greatly financially and politically to its Greece peripheral member since its membership was recognized and this last Country do take more than give to European Union administrative Institutions.
Meanwhile, when advocate has showed some significant proofs derived from Albanian police to Greek Court they been ignored - has been told to European Human Rights Court. Even the right to appeal in other higher Greek level Court has been negated to the Albanian emigrant when he was not made aware on that there was an other possibility to be appealed to Cassation Greek Court.
Sources from Strasbourg have told that EU's Strasbourg Court has warned for serious differences of Greek judicial system and laws with Human Rights European Convent and of primary concern there was the Article 6 of Human Rights European Convent.
According to HREC every person has the right to the fair judicial practice and justice and to be advocated by personal choice when the person has no financial possibility to reimburse the advocacy should be advocated gratis by official nominated advocates
Greece, in front of such clear EU's lawfulness convent, which has been signed by Greek respective Institutions, has ignored that in front of non-Greek citizens and Human Rights European Court in Strasbourg has gotten down Greek judicial practice in relation with Biba case, and penalizing Greek state, has offered free advocating assistance to Greece Albanian emigrant.
The invisibly part of EU's member political iceberg Greece.
The Greece's Biba case at Human Rights European Court and its European Union lawfulness sounds sarcastic example in comparison with what do really happens in Greece with Albanian immigrants and this case is surely the modest evident part of a big Balkanized Greek political iceberg.
The HREC has had to do with a case that does represent a human phenomenon of killing of a human life, which at last but not least, cannot be forgiven as an extreme human crime, but at the other hand HREC and its European Convent have had to do also with a human killer, which according to same principles of humanity can be judged just by precise laws and not by transitory emotional political approaches, in effect!
In fact, by political means, this Greece Albanian immigrant case to HREC has also configured two kinds of judicial treatment into the European Union! There is EU with its law and policy that can forgive a human killer (or judge rightly him or her) for speciphic circumstances and respect with the same attitude and laws apart from the nationality they derive even immigrants and, there is Greece, EU's full member, which do follow other political rules in front of speciphic immigrants by laws with "EU standard"!
It seems that the Machiavelist code: "The scope do justify the measures" there is very well understood in Greece and this last in effect has misunderstood its judicial concept and laws with politics. No matter the human rights of immigrant and especially those of Albanian ones! If nothing else, Albanians immigrants do represent their country in the neighboring Greece and this last do see them as a possibility to play the dominant partner role with neighboring Albania.
The influence, which can have about 500.000 Albanian immigrants of Greece to Albania in economical and political difficulties, is really immense to such small country with 3.3 millions of habitants. Moreover, there are their brothers (the other Albanians) who have dominant role in countries as Macedonia and Kosovo, countries with strategic vital importance for fortuned European Greece, which wants to dominate the poor and troubled region of Balkans.
Oppression against Greece Albanian immigrants in years!
Not too long ago when I was going by buss for journalistic services in Greece and when we had left behind the border Greek passport passing control my accompanying Albanian said to me: "let's hope we will have not the chance to face some other Greece police control"!
- "What's the matter?" I replied to my national citizen very surprised! My buss accompanying Albanian, surprised more than me, told that, no matter you have all the papers okay, it is up to Greek police spiritual state!
At the then period the Albania's General Prosecutor Office had ordered arresting of some "Omonia", Albania's Greek minority organization, representatives for subversive actions! The Albanian court had not yet given its decision in relation with these persons but Greece had already considered it given. A violent police action had started against Greece Albanian immigrants!
At the time, thousands and thousands of tortured and plundered Albanian immigrants have been brought to Greek - Albanian borders by force. There were a lot of them with regular papers but the law has no importance when the politics has ordered a so-called "broom" operation, in effect!
Albanian individual immigrants have always paid such Greek police violent action against, which in fact there are repeated every time Official Tirana has had difference with Official Athens but the most recent story of an Albanian adolescent in Greece do represent the extreme collective manipulation of an entire people by the politics!
Odisea Cenaj the best alumni (student?) of Mihanjona city, 30 Km away Thessalonica, because being Albanian, has been prohibited to march with Greek flag at the city center by an intensive media propaganda against!
According to very long Greek tradition at the national day of the victory against fascist Italy, on 28 October 1940, the best schools alumni's do march in cities and, the national flag do be hold by the best student, who this time, but according to press resources precedent times also, has been Odisea Cenaj, a boy from North Albania!
Petitions signed by Greek parents who did not like that the Greek flag to be to Albanian child hands in such national day, interviews, debates and protests have forced even the highest Greek authority to be pronounced on the case, who at last calling for tolerance in front of a child resulted non effective and nothing seemed to help the situation in such Greek nationalism within the Europe and to an EU's full member Greece.
"I decided to deliver the flag to other alumni because I do not like to destroy the Schools atmosphere and that of mine friends! I will not participate even to the march" has told Odisea Cenaj hurt because of being the best alumni of Thessalonica!
Official Greece disturbed about the Albania's Greek minority.
By contrast, a few weeks ago Greek disturbance has showed very recently the official Greece, in front of international and European Institutions, very tense about the Albanian election process in a very small southwester Albanian city of Himara, one of the oldest Albanian towns with about 5000 - 7000 habitants! Greek Officials have spoken about violation of Greek minority rights in the runoff electoral process of 15th October Albanian local election to the above-mentioned city.
To the Himara municipality at the runoff electoral process had competed the Socialist Party candidate Viktor Mato and Vasil Bollobano, the Omonia Greek Minority association & Union of Human Rights Party, backed challenger. All other Albanian political parties have thrown their backing behind Mato-including the Democratic Party, the Socialists' archrival and, at last but not least, Mato socialist candidate has won more than 73 % of valued votes.
To the other hand about 40 busses of Albanians who had immigrated to Greece but were not still legalized immigrants have been sent to Himara to cast their ballots in support of the Greek minority candidate for the municipality. Vasil Bollobano, the Omonia- and UHRP-backed challenger to his electoral campaign openly has promised investment in tourism and infrastructure-and, tacitly, a return to Greek rule.
Although Greece has been quick to send a group of Greek parliamentarians in Himara to visit polling stations on election process, and it is said to have distributed propaganda supporting Omonia & UPHR, candidate for Himara municipality. In fact, the parliamentarians did not obtain the Central Election Commission (CEC) or Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe's (OSCE) permission for the visit, as demanded under Albanian electoral law.
According to the Albanian papers, Greek provinces on the border with Albania and factions within the Greek government have been quietly backing a plan to bring secessionist candidates to office in Himara. Omonia, the Albania's Greek minority organization, and the Party of Union for Human Rights (UHRP-which has been recognized by the Albanian Ministry of Justice) have allegedly extended their support to the plan.
Once local rule has been established massive Greek investment in the towns would be used as a tool to convince local residents (Greeks and Albanians alike) to cast their lots with Greece in a referendum on independence.
The Macedonian Press Agency reported that the Greek defence minister compared the situation of the Greek minority in Himara with that of Kosovar Albanians in Kosovo. Albanian analysts have called the Greek claims "nonsense," pointing out that the demography of southern Albania, especially to Himara city, gives lie to the assertions that Greek Albanians are being persecuted or ethnically cleansed.
Government officials in Tirana responded to Greek assertions by claiming that the Himara flap was the result of an "emotional reaction" by a handful of local officials on both sides of the border and, as such, does not represent the official positions of either the Greek or Albanian governments. Tirana said bilateral relations are very strong and will continue to be so.
Despite the overtures, Greece the only Balkans country EU's member is showing that it is one of the most balkanised political and administrative entity of the fragile and troubled region. Jorgos Papandreou the Greek Foreign Minister in front of Greek Parliamentary Foreign Commission, in relation with Himara case, has declared closed the bilateral Greek - Albanian agreements for assistance in favour of Albania and has promised that Greece will use the right of veto in European Union to block EU's aids and assistances in favour of Albania!
Local media, however, reported that in the wake of the Himara controversy, Greek security forces have stepped-up operations to expel Albanian emigrants in Greece, who are stepped by force in Greece police station, tortured and destroyed their personal identification documents and at last transported and released to Albania's borders.
No one of these Greece Albanian emigrants when maintained by force in police station has had the possibility to have any advocate and did not expect to be respected any of immigration rights by Greek polices. In addition the Greek embassy in Tirana is taking a similar hard-line in relations with Albania.
At last but not least, according to press resources from Strasbourg at the last week first European Parliamentary session the Greek presence there, denouncing the "violence" used against Greek minority of Himara town, has demanded the annulations of Himara elections results and the repetition of the electoral process there.
Meanwhile the European Parliament discussing in front of Albania case has approved, after a strong debate, a resolution with 103 votes in favour, 74 against and 14 abstentions, where, according to the same press resources, there is criticism but also positive notes for official Tirana.
Moreover there is also deposited by EP' members to the parliament an amendment of this resolution, which do say between others, that: "The European parliament invite European media to intensify the needs and demands for precise and real information without prejudicing in front of Albania "