Albania Passes Hate Crimes Law

Gay Star News reports that Albania's legislature has approved a broad hate crimes bill that extends coverage to crimes committed on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. The bill also outlaws the publication of homophobic and racist materials, including on the internet.

Albania’s parliament amended Section 50/j of its criminal code to strictly punish a crime ’when the offense is committed due to reasons related to gender, race, color, ethnicity, language, gender identity, sexual orientation, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, health status, genetic predisposition, or disability’. If a crime has occurred for the above reasons, including based on sexual orientation and gender identity, then the circumstances are aggravating and the perpetrator will be punished more severely (i.e. with no recourse to ‘mitigating circumstance’). Albania’s parliament also introduced the concept of crimes against the LGBT community through information technology. Article 119/a, adds a new crime to the list of offenses that is the ‘distribution of racist, homophobic or xenophobic materials through systems of communication and information technology.’

Homosexuality was decriminalized in Albania in 1996. No partnership rights exist at any level.