The statement elaborates on what Betzios refers to as "gross and flagrant violations of human rights being perpetuated by the Albanian regime." such as -.* * about 100.000 members of the Greek ethnic minority have been forcibly relocated to the north part of Albania and are living in forced labour concentration camps." and "legislation of Albania forbids expressly the right to freedom of opinion and expression and the right to peaceful assembly and association." According to Betzios. hundreds of Greek minorities. as well as other national and religious minorities. have lost their lives on electrified barbed wire installed on the countrys borders. Also. four brothers who attempted to escape Albania to join their family in Greece were arrested. tortured. and dragged by tractor through several villages. An article in the July 11 New York Times tells the story of the plight of 51 Albanian refugees. The refugees estimated that more than 6.000 of their countrymen jammed Western embassies in the capital. Tirana. over the past month in hopes of attaining political assylum. Bush Sula. a 27yearold refugee. is one of the 51 who was granted asylum after scaling the Czechoslovakian embassys walls while "being hit on the legs by police batons." Sula recounted. A 26yearold artist named Sokol Abdiu was quoted in the article as saying "The United States is the best and most powerful country. I want to go to California.
Keywords matched
refugee refugees