Budapest / Hungary (ERRC) April 1997

Levan is a 2400-member Romani community ( 400 families ) located outside Fier in south-eastern Albania. According to the local leader, Refit Dule, chairmann of the Amaro Drom Fier branch, Levan is the oldest Romani community of Albania ( 100 years ). Apart from suffering from general poverty and lack of basic sanitary provisions, the Levan Roma also face problems such as non-Roma from the surroundings entering the community to provoke fights and regular harassment on the part of the local police. We documen ted several recent incidents of violent attacks against Roma by ethnic Albanians from the surrounding area as well as arbitrary and seemingly unlawful arrests and raids conducted by the police. Residents told ERRC that they would not let their wives and da ughters without male company into the center of Levan because of fear of the local non-Roma population.