The 27th day of hunger strike

While is not willing to sit to any kind of dialogue, the police asked the strikers to cooperate with them for implementing the court order. Many of the strikers are in bad health conditions.

The strike coordinator, Skender Tufa, declared that the Court decision is going to the Appeal by the Helsinki Committee, which has undertaken their protection on this matter. He invited the political forces to support the strike.

“We are playing with the citizens’ life here. The Albanian opposition must be active. We have welcomed every politician to come and talk as a citizen”, Skender Tufa declared.

The vice chairman of the Paraplegic’s Association, who participated at their hunger strike, held two years ago also for economic reasons, declared that after nine days on strike, they were deceived by the government that their problems would be resolved.

“We are sorry to see this situation. This is the same thing that we did one year ago. We were promised that our requests would be fulfilled, and not only they didn’t keep their word, but they also removed some benefits that we had”, the paraplegic declared.

Hunger strike coordinator arrested

The Tirana Police arrested the coordinator of the hunger strike, Asllan Patrioti, 59, accusing him of stealing 700 EUR from Italian citizens.

Police says that on June, 2012, an Italian citizen reported the theft of his personal car, which was found and returned to the owner by the police. The Italian citizen had been receiving pressure from Asllan Patrioti, who demanded a payment in exchange of the car that he claimed to have found.

The Police executed the order saying that they have video footage as evidence and the money that were taken, which they have sent to the Prosecution as legal evidence.

Topi: Criminal indifference

The head of the New Democratic Spirit, Bamir Topi, accused the government of showing a criminal indifference towards the strikers and their self-sacrifice acts, but he refused to comment the court decision for their dispersal.

“In my entire civil, political and institutional life, I have never discussed the Court orders”, Topi declared.

The former President added that Albania will receive the candidate status, although conditioned.

“I believe that Albania will receive the candidate status and I hope that it will be soon. Being part of Europe, it will be obvious how far from Europe some politicians are”, Topi declared.

The NDS leader released these declarations from Korce, where he held the first meeting with the members and fans of this new political force.

RBA, Spahiu: Berisha must leave

The Red And Black Alliance leader, Kreshnik Spahiu, visited the premises of the hunger strike which is continuing on its 27th day.

The RBA leader declared that the protest is a clear evidence of the institutional crisis. He considered the court’s decision to interrupt the strike as arbitrary and illegal.

Commenting on the last stance of the US Ambassador, Alexander Arvizu, who declared that the government must dialogue with the strikers, Spahiu said that the Prime Minister must be removed as soon as possible.

“The US Diplomacy, those who called Berisha ‘a man of state’, now have put him to the test. Berisha must resign as soon as possible”, Spahiu declared.

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