Opinion ID: 78497
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Credible-fear Interview

Text: On June 5, 2002, an asylum officer conducted a credible-fear interview with Shkambi using an Albanian interpreter. At the outset, the asylum officer informed Shkambi that he should feel comfortable disclosing the reasons he feared returning to Albania because these reasons would not be disclosed to the Albanian government and were important in determining whether Shkambi was eligible for asylum or withholding of removal. During his credible-fear interview, Shkambi reported one incident of persecution. Shkambi stated that he had been a supporter of the Democratic Party (DP) and had attended DP meetings on two occasions. In June 2000, while attending a DP party meeting, two police officers beat him with a baton and a broken bottle. When asked whether the officers said anything while they beat him, Shkambi responded, [t]hey were just telling every body to leave the meeting. As a result of the attack, Shkambi's arm was injured and he was hospitalized for two months. Shkambi believed the officers targeted him because he had attended a DP gathering, and he explained that the police supported the Socialist Party (SP). When asked whether he had any further problems after this June 2000 incident, Shkambi responded that his uncle was sent to prison twice because he was a Catholic priest. Shkambi did not relate any other incidents involving himself. Shkambi stated that he left Albania due to his problems with authorities and that he feared they would imprison or kill him if he returned to Albania because of his support for the DP.