General Prosecutors’ office shall investigate for fraud and incitement to hatred the signatories of the petition “Healthy family, healthy nation”

Tirana, 26 May 2014 – PINK Embassy and Human Rights House in Albania have learned about the publication of a petition undersigned by 57 so called intellectuals, under the title “Healthy family, healthy nations”. This petition, which publicly incites hatred against LGBT people in Albania, Kosovo and Macedonia, was first published by Panorama Daily, on 21 May 2014, pg. 7.

Meanwhile on Thursday, the same daily published a response by Dr. Agron Gjekmarkaj, whose name was enlisted among the signatories of the petition, stating that he has not signed any petition (Panorama Daily, 22 May 2014, reaction from Agron Gjekmarkaj, under the title “The technology of fabricating petitions”).

Also on May 22^nd, the online portal of Panorama Daily (www.panorama.al), published the article related to the petition of 57 intellectuals, removing however, without any explanation, the names of Mr. Agron Gjekmarkaj and Mr. Alfred Lela (deputy editor in chief of MAPO daily).

Such denouncements and changes reveal that many of the people who have signed the petition have been deceived intentionally from the people who have demanded the publication of such a discriminatory petition, thus using, without any authorisation the names of public personalities and as a consequence purposefully deceiving the public opinion on this issue. In our opinion the authors and promoters of this petition have committed two offenses punishable by the Criminal Code which if left unpunished will further promote violence and discrimination.

Through this letter, we ask the General Prosecutors Office to start immediately an investigation into the authors of the petition based on Articles 143, for fraud, Article 265 for incitement to of the Criminal Code.  

The LGBT community in Albania expects from the law enforcement institutions to protect the rights of every citizen who are threatened by crime. In this aspect the General Prosecutor’s Office has responsibility to follow every case in which an entire social group is at risk of discrimination or hate crimes.