A brief reminder to Tirana, of the consequences for the Greeks, for Freedoms and Human Rights

SManalysis

Stavri Marko

Jurnalist

In 1994, 5 members of the political organization of the Union of the Greek Minority, Omonia, were arrested and tried for hostile activities against the Republic of Albania, but not later than one year, they were released by the Supreme Court. Sali Berisha's Albania sought to challenge a series of International Laws on Freedoms and Human Rights, accusing representatives of the Greek Minority of irredentism. The diplomatic conflict took place not only with Greece, a member of NATO and the EU, but also with the United States, where two of the detainees, were US citizens.

However, two years later in 1997, the country went to the Civil War due to the collapse of the Pyramid Corporations, but what was mentioned by many diplomatic channels was the cause of deteriorating conditions and even the assimilation of the Greek Minority by the expansionist policies President Berisha. And yet, two years later, NATO attacked Serbia in 1999, in an air campaign, to force Kosovo to surrender to Albanian-speaking authorities, under the pretext that "Serbia violates the freedoms and human rights of ethnic Albanians in Kosovo." It was called a classic example at the time, but not special. Not special for the fact that we are dealing with the same behavior, the same pressures, the same methods, in the same Balkans, that of the violation of Freedoms and Human Right
s. And in the end, force was used.

After 20 years, Albania's relations with the Greek Community in the South of Albania, or in Northern Epirus as they call historically, deteriorated to the maximum after the murder of an activist from the Greek Minority, Kostandinos Katsifas, who was executed by the Albanian special police forces. But this does not mean that Albania's relations with Greece have deteriorated, even Greece has given the green light to Albania for the EU, but a Declassifications of CIA Report for 1994, reports that the Greek minority in Albania, is a bomb that can to destabilize Albania, if the situation worsens for Freedoms and Human Rights in the Greek Community.

We must remember that an action with popular referendum demands is no longer done by ordinary people or leaders of associations that reveal their national values, but by heads of state. In 2012, on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the creation of the Albanian State, from Vlora, where the Rally took place, the Prime Minister of the country Sali Berisha, declared that the borders of Albania, start from Preveza (Greece) to Presevo (Serbia). But not less than a few days ago, the projected Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, unveiled the creation of conditions for a Referendum, the unification of Kosovo with Albania. Should a Serbian or Greek court find the Albanian leaders guilty and sentence them to prison? Certainly not, because freedom of expression is not imprisoned by any state except dictatorial, fascist or totalitarian. 

However, the latest developments in relation to the Greeks of Albania, worsen the situation to the maximum, if we look at the recent actions of the Albanian government, which sentences the leader of the Movement for the Renaissance of Northern Epirus, Mondis Kolilas, to 8 years in prison, and at the same time is making harmful decisions of the territory and properties where ethnic Greeks live, which are nationalized and given to the Albanian Muslim population, disturbing the ethnic balance, for construction, territory where they historically live on the Ionian coast, especially in the Himara Region.

And obviously, things can get worse, at a time when Albania must look to the EU, as long as Albanian politicians do not understand that Freedoms and Human Rights, including property and self-determination, are the pillars of democracy, for which, Albania, risks at the crossroads.