The independent and opposition press came under greater pressure from the government. The judicial system has also experienced disturbing setbacks. The most serious was the unconstitutional sacking of the Chief Justice of the Court of Cassation in September 1995. Although the government has undertaken some judicial reforms, the judiciary remains dominated by the executive, and more needs to be done to ensure greater respect for human rights through the work of an independent judiciary. As regards the ethnic Greek minority, there has been some progress toward addressing its aspirations for greater access to Greek-language education and the return of church properties expropriated by the previous communist regime.
Education is the most important issue for the Greek minority.
In 1995 Albania passed an education law which permits private schooling in minority languages. Publicly funded, bilingual education is already provided at 46 primary schools and a similar number of 8-year schools in the southern districts. We understand that more public and private Greek-language schools will open. However, there are also troubling signs. A Greek- language elementary school in the village of Frashtani was destroyed by fire the night of February 28.