Albania
Albania
| Right | Section | Contents |
|---|---|---|
| Freedom of Association | History | Article 199 of the 1928 Fundamental Statute of the Kingdom of Albania guaranteed freedom of association "in conformity with the law." Article 53 of the 1976 Albanian Constitution states that “citizens enjoy the freedom of speech, the press, organization, association, assembly and public manifestation. The state guarantees the realization of these freedoms, it creates the conditions for them, and makes available the necessary material means” (“The Albanian Constitution of 1976").
Freedom of Association is also asserted in the Albanian Constitution of 1998, in Chapter III, Article 46. References: 1928 Fundamental Statute of the Kingdom of Albania: https://www.hoelseth.com/royalty/albania/albconst19281201.html 1976 Albania Constitution: https://data.globalcit.eu/NationalDB/docs/ALB%20The%20Constitution%20of%20the%20Peoples%20Socialist%20Republic%20of%20Albania%201976.pdf 1998 Albania Constitution: https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/Albania_2012 |
| Freedom of Expression | History | Article 197 of the 1928 Fundamental Statute of the Kingdom of Albania guaranteed freedom of speech in peacetime under ordinary circumstance, but left room for exceptions in wartime or under extraordinary conditions. Freedom of speech was also asserted in Article 53 of the 1976 Constitution. Article 22 of the 1998 Albanian constitution guarantees the freedom of expression.
References: 1928 Fundamental Statute of the Kingdom of Albania: https://www.hoelseth.com/royalty/albania/albconst19281201.html Albania Constitution (1976): https://data.globalcit.eu/NationalDB/docs/ALB%20The%20Constitution%20of%20the%20Peoples%20Socialist%20Republic%20of%20Albania%201976.pdf Albania Constitution (1998): “Albania 1998 (Rev. 2016) Constitution.” Constitute. Accessed September 14, 2022. https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/Albania_2016?lang=en. |
| Freedom of Religion | History | According to the 1928 Fundamental Statute of the Kingdom of Albania: "The Albanian State has no official religion. All religions and creeds are respected, and freedom of worship and religious observances is guaranteed."
The current Albanian constitution guarantees religious freedom in Article 10. The Constitution of the Republic of Albania was passed on November 28th, 1998. References: 1928 Fundamental Statute of the Kingdom of Albania: https://www.hoelseth.com/royalty/albania/albconst19281201.html 1998 Albania Constitution: https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/Albania_2012 |
| Freedom of the Press | History | According to Article 197 of the 1928 Fundamental Statute of the Kingdom of Albania: "Freedom of speech and of the press is guaranteed, and a censorship may not be instituted, except in case of war mobilisation or other extraordinary event defined by the law. The regulation of the press, the confiscation of press matter and the prosecution of the press are determined by law."
Article 53 of the 1976 Albanian Constitution states that “citizens enjoy the freedom of speech, the press, organization, association, assembly and public manifestation. The state guarantees the realization of these freedoms, it creates the conditions for them, and makes available the necessary material means” (“The Albanian Constitution of 1976) . Today, Part 2, Article 22 of the 1998 Albanian Constitution recognizes freedom of the press, radio, and television as part of its list of “Fundamental Human Rights and Freedoms”. Article 22 also states that “Prior censorship of means of communication is prohibited” (Constitute Project, Albania's Constitution of 1998 with Amendments through 2012” ). References: 1928 Fundamental Statute of the Kingdom of Albania: https://www.hoelseth.com/royalty/albania/albconst19281201.html Albania Constitution (1976): https://data.globalcit.eu/NationalDB/docs/ALB%20The%20Constitution%20of%20the%20Peoples%20Socialist%20Republic%20of%20Albania%201976.pdf Albania Constitution (1998): https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/Albania_2016?lang=en. |
| Privacy Rights | History | In the 1928 Fundamental Statute of the Kingdom of Albania, Article 196 guaranteed the privacy of the home, and Article 201 addressed privacy of correspondence: "The secrecy of correspondence, telegraph and telephone messages is inviolable, except in case of war mobilisation, revolution and the investigation of serious crimes." The 1976 Constitution offered guarantees using similar language, in Articles 57 and 58.
Today, privacy is guaranteed in Articles 35 (data), 36 (correspondence), and 37 (home) of the 1998 constitution (Constitute Project, “Albania 1998 rev. 2016”). References: 1928 Fundamental Statute of the Kingdom of Albania: https://www.hoelseth.com/royalty/albania/albconst19281201.html 1976: Albania Constitution: https://data.globalcit.eu/NationalDB/docs/ALB%20The%20Constitution%20of%20the%20Peoples%20Socialist%20Republic%20of%20Albania%201976.pdf 1998: Albania Constitution: https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/Albania_2016?lang=en. |
| Voting Rights and Suffrage | History | Article 28 of the 1928 Fundamental Statute of the Kingdom of Albania asserted that Deputies serving in Parliament should be "elected by the people according to law", without offering further specific details about the right to vote.
Article 45 of the Republic of Albania’s 1998 Constitution guarantees the right to vote to the People of Albania so they can exercise their power through their elected representatives in the Parliament (Berhani, I. "Elections and Implementation of the Law of Elections in Albania"). References: 1928 Fundamental Statute of the Kingdom of Albania: https://www.hoelseth.com/royalty/albania/albconst19281201.html Albania Constitution (1998): https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/Albania_2016?lang=en. Berhani, Ilir, "Elections and Implementation of the Law of Elections in Albania." (2015). Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences, 6(2 S5), 155: https://www.richtmann.org/journal/index.php/mjss/article/view/6173/5918 |