2009 by country in Europe

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Chronology of Europe: Events by country of the year 2009 in Europe. Thematic events are dealt with in 2009 in Europe
2007 by country in Europe - 2008 by country in Europe - 2009 - 2010 by country in Europe - 2011 by country in Europe
2007 in Europe - 2008 in Europe - 2009 in Europe - 2010 in Europe - 2011 in Europe

Albania
Wednesday: the Council of Europe's Committee to Combat Torture, in its annual report, considers that Albania still needs to make efforts to combat ill-treatment in police custody and conditions of detention in its police stations, despite significant progress: "Unlike the findings made during previous visits, the majority of the people with whom his delegation met stated that they had been properly treated during police custody [... nevertheless] a number of credible allegations of recent physical ill-treatment have been collected," among which he deplores severe beatings carried out with truncheons during interrogations. The Committee refers to "significant progress" in the conditions in pre-trial detention centres, but regrets that those in police stations are "still unsatisfactory", finding it "unacceptable" that persons may be placed in police cells for prolonged periods of one month's duration, and requests that these cells be provided with clean sheets, adequate ventilation and lighting, and equipped with benches and chairs.

Thursday: sums played in games of chance in 2008 were on the rise in one of the poorest countries in Europe. Albanians spent more than $100 million on gambling, including sports betting, compared to some $60 million in 2007. There is a casino in Albania, more than 20 betting companies, 22 gambling companies and 9 Bingo companies. Games of chance take place in thousands of halls across the country, set up in numbers including near schools.

Tuesday: Albania officially submits its application to the European Union in Prague, less than a month after joining NATO.

Thursday: According to USAID's director, "corruption remains a serious problem in Albania, taking energy, time and money from Albanians [...] all available sources of information, the public, but also the authorities indicate that corruption is a widespread phenomenon in Albania". According to a poll conducted by the Albanian Institute for Development, Research and Alternatives (IDRA), politicians, ministers, deputies, but also customs officers and doctors are considered the most corrupt. The survey notes, however, that progress has been made in the authorities' efforts to combat the phenomenon, but that corruption, large or small, is a major problem