Examining judicial practices across Southeast Europe, this piece details issues with pre-trial detention and compensation for wrongful imprisonment.
🔗 Read the article on balcanicaucaso.org
[This is an automatically generated summary, for reference only]
The article examines the widespread and often excessive use of pre-trial detention across several Southeastern European countries, highlighting issues with abuses, discrimination, and inadequate compensation for wrongful imprisonment. In Albania, while laws exist for compensation, the amounts are considered too low to cover actual damages. The text notes that in Albania, prosecutors and courts tend to presume guilt, leading to very few acquittals. Bulgaria is highlighted where pre-trial detention is frequently used as a tool for political or economic pressure, exemplified by the case of Blagomir Kotsev. Serbia faces concerns over selective application of detention rules, particularly against the Roma community, and judges often fail to provide clear justifications for detentions. In Greece, while alternative measures exist, courts still resort to pre-trial custody even for young or unconvicted individuals, and compensation is not automatic and limited. The piece concludes by noting that these issues raise concerns about the state of the rule of law in the region.
