TIRANA, March 13/ATA/ Albania remains a top source of ECHR complaints, driven largely by endemic property issues and delayed justice.
In this context, Albania’s Ombudsman Endrit Shabani met today President of the ECHR Mattias Guyomar.
During the meeting, the interlocutors highlighted the partnership between the two institutions, so that the Ombudsman’s office shifts from observer to active agent, enforcing European rights standards within Albanian borders.
A press release of the Ombudsman Office reads that the flood of Albanian files in Strasbourg highlights a dual crisis, primarily driven by property disputes. Accounting for roughly one-fifth (17%) of all submissions, these cases underscore the inability of local institutions to resolve property rights issues domestically.
The system denies due process, with 63% of complaints highlighting how citizens are lost for decades in the labyrinth of Albanian courts.
According to the Ombudsman, Albania faces a 40-million-euro bill for ECHR decisions rendered over the last 10 years, with 238 cases still awaiting judgment.
For his part, President Guyomar confirmed that the ECHR considers the Albanian Ombudsman a partner in facilitating the application of European human rights standards in Albania. /e.i/a.f/p.s./
