TIRANA, Oct 22 /ATA/ Albert Nushi, Head of the Management Sector at the Department of Public Safety, said in a media briefing today that fake news had been circulating on social media in recent days, seeking to undermine the image of the State Police, threaten public order and security, and call into question respect for the right to peaceful protest.
Addressing footage published from Rinas Airport, which allegedly shows foreign nationals being brought to Albania to be imprisoned, Nushi clarified that the claims were false.
According to Nushi, the individuals in question are being transported from Italy to Gjadër, to the centre for receiving irregular migrants.
He also stressed that yesterday, several schoolteachers and university lecturers received intimidating messages purporting to be from the State Police. The messages claimed that the recipients had been filmed by police while attending a protest and would be contacted to be informed of the charges against them.
He stressed that “the messages were not sent by the State Police, but by unidentified individuals seeking to spread panic and erode public trust in the Police”.
“We assure teachers and university lecturers that the right to peaceful assembly is enshrined in the Constitution and that the State Police is legally obliged to respect and uphold this right,” he said.
According to Nushi, representatives of the State Police have made it clear in all public statements and announcements that the right to peaceful assembly is respected and guaranteed.
“Any claim to the contrary is false and malicious,” he said.
Nushi also dismissed reports of mass resignations from the ranks of the State Police as false.
“We also assure the public that no police official has issued unlawful orders to use violence during the days of protest,” he said.
Nushi stressed that “the State Police is here to serve you, uphold the law and safeguard your lives, property and rights. We urge you not to fall prey to false information intended to undermine the State Police’s legal mission and your trust in the institution.”
/m.q/a.f/sm/
