The Tirana Administrative Court of Appeal has recognized a family from the Roma community
the right to compensation from the Municipality of Tirana and the National Inspectorate of
Territory Protection in the amount of 2,153,200 ALL as well as the moral damage caused in the
amount of 150,000 ALL. Through the dedicated work of the CLE lawyers who have been
following the court process since 2016, the Court considered the actions of public bodies that
destroyed the residence of this family due to the construction of the “Ring Road” to be in violation
of the law.
The apartment was built before 1991 near the Paris Commune- Kavaja Street road segment. In
2016, the works for the construction of the “Ring Road” of Tirana would start on this road segment.
This family, after learning about the construction of the road segment that was expected to start
and would demolish their houses, applied to the Municipality of Tirana in accordance with the
criteria of Decision of Council of Ministers No. 608 dated 05.09.2012, to acquire ownership and consequently benefit from
the expropriation procedure.
The Municipality of Tirana informed the Albanian Road Authority that the applicant did not qualify
and did not meet the criteria to be recognized as the owner, and based on the letter from the
Municipality of Tirana, the Albanian Road Authority asked the National Inspectorate of Territory
Protection (IKMT) to intervene to vacate the square construction from objects. His residential
house was destroyed by the IKMT action on 18.02.2016 and 19.02.2016 and the family remained
homeless, being economically damaged, because they lost the investment of their whole life and
suffering a great emotional and psychological burden. This family contacted the lawyers of the
Law Clinics (today Centre for Legal Empowerment), who showed their willingness to represent
them before the Court.
CLE is also pursuing the cases of two other families from the Roma community at the Court of
Appeal, to whom the Court of First Instance of Tirana has recognized the right to compensation in
the amounts of 5,596,555 Lek and 3,785,000 Lek, respectively.
The concrete and direct work of the lawyers of CLE has borne its fruits by creating not only cases of success but also important legal precedents in preserving, protecting, and consolidating the rights of the Roma community in our country. Working with the Roma community is not simply a procedural matter, it requires a lot of dedication, involvement and sincerity.
We have aimed to be more than just advocates for their causes within this community;, but reliable partners in the journey full of challenges and difficulties for them. Our collaboration with the community and the tangible outcomes that have directly improved the quality of life for families serve as constant inspiration. We’re driven each day to stand with them whenever support is needed, and beyond that, to empower them legally in navigating potential future challenges.