Fatos Nano

Under Nano's government, the CPJ and Reporters Without Borders documented pressure on independent and opposition media: defamation claims, political control of advertising by public companies, influence over public broadcasting and restrictions on access to information.

State of the evidence

Reported by the press

Attribution

Directly implicated

Thousands of protesters marched in Tirana demanding Nano's departure. The opposition accused him of corruption, abuses and failure to improve living conditions; during an early demonstration, participants attempted to enter the government building.

State of the evidence

Allegations

Legal status — source text

Not applicable

Attribution

Political responsibility

Within the Socialist Party, Nano launched a campaign against what he described as corruption, nepotism and criminal links in Ilir Meta's government. The confrontation paralysed the replacement of several ministers, contributed to Meta's resignation in January 2002 and weakened reforms and international assistance.

State of the evidence

Allegations

Legal status — source text

Not applicable

Attribution

Directly implicated

Former minister Dritan Prifti accused Nano of having attempted, two years earlier, to secure approval of a contract that would have used the Albanian government as a front for a money-laundering operation worth approximately one billion dollars.

State of the evidence

Alleged

Attribution

Directly implicated

Under Nano's political leadership, the Socialist Party won the 2001 parliamentary elections. However, the OSCE/ODIHR identified serious irregularities in several areas: ballot stuffing, pre-marked ballots, counting problems, political pressure on the electoral commission and unfavourable coverage by public television.

State of the evidence

Documented

Legal status — source text

Not applicable

Following the assassination of opposition MP Azem Hajdari, armed opposition supporters attacked government headquarters and briefly occupied public buildings. Nano left Tirana and resigned as prime minister on 28 September.

State of the evidence

Documented

Legal status — source text

Not applicable

Attribution

Directly implicated

Fatos Nano, leader of the Socialist opposition, was arrested in 1993 and sentenced in 1994 to twelve years' imprisonment for embezzlement and forgery relating to Italian aid while he headed the 1991 transitional government.

State of the evidence

Established by a court

Attribution

Personally implicated

Role of the person profiled

Protagonist not prosecuted