The Alliance for Albanians demands that the prisoners be released temporarily and that all prisoners be tested for the coronavirus.

Moreover, the Alliance calls for the improvement and maintenance of proper hygiene for prisoners and prison staff, as well as the cancellation of all activities, programs and visits, replacing them with video and telephone conversations wherever possible.

An infection in a prison can overwhelm the health system, as hundreds of people may need medical care that prisons themselves cannot provide. We must not forget that inmates are people, parents, and have families and they have rights and deserve equal treatment in this period of pandemic. Such an outbreak could not only infect hundreds of people in prison, but could potentially spread the virus to prison staff, according to a statement from the Alliance.