Freedom of Religion in Albania: A Review of the National Legislation from the Perspective of European Standards

Ardit Bido
Metropolitan University of Tirana

Abstract

The freedom of religion and belief in Albania is guaranteed by the constitution of this multi-religious European nation. Moreover, seven laws have ratified agreements between the Council of Ministers and five of the country’s religious communities, and there are also a number of provisions detailed in specific legislation. Nevertheless, taking into account the international legal framework, Albania lacks solid legislation regarding religion, as it remains one of the few European countries that does not an overall law regarding the freedom of religion and belief. As such, some of the legal provisions in the different laws on religion are either inconsistent, do not take into account the national interest, or clearly infringe on the freedom itself. This paper analyses the Albanian legal framework regarding religion ascompared to the European Convention of Human Rights, identifies the main issues and tries to give an overall approach to possible solutions.


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