Posted on 02/14/2008 2:47:40 PM PST by joan
By ČTK / Published 14 February 2008
Prague, Feb 13 (CTK) - Members of the Albanian underworld try to frighten sworn interpreters in order to avoid criminal prosecution, Ema Kondyskova, chairwoman of the Czech association of sworn interpreters, told CTK Wednesday.
As a result, the Interior Ministry proposes that the interpreters should be considered protected persons and provide their testimony in secret.
The information on the intimidation of sworn interpretors is in the government concept of the struggle with organised crime.
"This is no mass phenomenon and there is no reason for panic. The problem has only appeared in the case of a single language, the Albanian," Kondyskova said.
The document, recently submitted to the government by Interior Minister Ivan Langer (the Civic Democratic Party, ODS), says the number of the cases in which interpreters of some "exotic" languages refuse to cooperate with law enforcement bodies is on the rise.
"In most cases, these are court proceedings with organised crime, in which the interpreters are threatened by the suspects if they help the law enforcement bodies," the report says.
Kondyskova said the situation had lasted for almost two years and some courts had started dealing with it.
The reason of why Albanian interpreters have become targets of threats is their limited number, Kondyskova said.
Under the Czech law, foreigners and anyone saying he does not speak Czech have the right to interpretation into their language during questioning and court proceedings.
If the authorities are unable to secure the interpretation, the court proceedings may be lengthy, which is sought by the criminals, experts say.
Typical Albanian behavior to issue death threats to witnesses or interpreters in their trials.
Hey, let’s give them (another) State!
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