Shabani said teams from the National Preventive Mechanism against Torture had contacted 214 people deprived of their liberty over the past 72 hours and monitored police stations No. 1 to No. 6 in Tirana, the capital’s Security Block detention facility, the Trauma Hospital and police stations in Korçë, Vlorë and Shkodër.

“Conditions at the Security Block are unacceptable,” Shabani said, citing overcrowding, a lack of beds, blankets, heating and hygiene supplies, as well as limited medical care.

He said 26 people held at the facility had reported alleged violence, with their complaints and visible signs of injuries recorded in official reports.

Shabani also raised concerns over the treatment of minors, saying some had been questioned without a parent or guardian and a psychologist present. Authorities were also verifying accounts involving around 12 minors who were allegedly held in isolation inside a ministry building, he added.

Other complaints collected during the monitoring included alleged violence during detention, inadequate medical care, breaches of detention deadlines and officers in civilian clothes operating without identifying insignia.

“Every officer who uses force must be identifiable. Identification protects citizens from abuse and protects police officers from unfounded accusations,” Shabani said.

He condemned violence against both police officers and protesters, as well as damage to public and private property, stressing that police could use force only when necessary and in a proportionate manner.

The ombudsman called on the State Police to ensure all officers were fully identifiable during operations and that minors were held separately from adults. He also urged the Interior Ministry to immediately improve conditions at the Security Block by ensuring access to water, food, beds, heating, hygiene facilities and medical care at all times.

Shabani stressed that the findings were preliminary and each case was being examined individually. He urged citizens, protesters, business owners and police officers who had suffered violence or damage to contact the ombudsman’s office.

Meanwhile, the National Preventive Mechanism is preparing a manual and proposing legal changes to clarify police procedures for escorting and holding people in police facilities.

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