The Ombudsman has reacted following clashes between protesters and the State Police during the protest of 31 October in front of the Ministry of Education in Tirana.
The institution, headed by Endrit Shabani, said it had monitored the protest and carried out inspections at several police stations in the capital. According to the statement, during the tensions the police used tear gas and water cannon from four special vehicles.
Nine people were detained during the protest, six of whom were taken to Police Station No. 1 and three to Police Station No. 3. Four of those detained were minors.
According to the Ombudsman, four adults detained at Police Station No. 1 stated that they were passers-by and had not taken part in the protest.
The two minors taken to this station were interviewed in the presence of a psychologist and representatives of the Child Protection Agency, and their family members were also notified. The inspection also found that there was no audiovisual system for recording interviews.
The Ombudsman calls for a full verification of the police intervention and the use of force, including tear gas and water cannon. According to the institution, any use of force must be necessary, lawful and proportionate.
Among the recommendations are documenting the specific reasons for each detention, informing persons of the grounds for their detention, installing audiovisual recording systems in police stations, and ensuring officers can be identified through the number on their uniform.
The Ombudsman calls on persons who claim their rights were violated during the protest or detention to address the institution with individual complaints.