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Country used to punish homosexuality with up to 10 years' imprisonment may change its mind
Albania: times are changing?
Albania may allow gay marriages
"Until 1995 [Albania] punished homosexuality with up to 10 years' imprisonment"
In Tirana, the capital of Albania, which once had one of the most repressive communist regimes on earth, and is a country with a Muslim majority, recently re-elected prime minister Sali Berisha has held out the possibility of the legalisation of gay marriages.
"A law that could provoke debates and reactions aims to put an end to discrimination and will allow civil unions between same-sex persons," he announced in a government statement, adding that there was "a certain hostility towards minorities" in Albania and called on citizens to "respect the standards of other European countries." His previous government formally submitted Albania's application to join the European Union two weeks before the polls.
Albania also has a large Catholic and Orthodox Christian population, and until 1995 punished homosexuality with up to 10 years' imprisonment. In recent years, several non-governmental organisations have been formed to protect the rights of its gay population, most of whom are believed to live secret lives without openly proclaiming their sexual orientation.
