According to official figures released by the Ministry of Justice, 541 inmates have been granted immediate release, while 803 convicted individuals have received sentence reductions. In addition, 173 cases qualify for sentence recalculation, and 67 inmates benefit from the consolidation of multiple sentences. Meanwhile, 609 inmates do not qualify for the amnesty because they do not meet the legal criteria.

The prisons with the highest number of releases are Lushnja, with 127 inmates released, followed by Fier with 104 and Reç with 101.

Justice Minister Toni Gogu said the amnesty does not apply to individuals convicted of crimes investigated by SPAK and the Special Court Against Corruption and Organized Crime (GJKKO), nor to those convicted of a number of serious criminal offences excluded under the law.

Among the beneficiaries of this year’s amnesty are Rozeta Dobi, who was convicted of stealing from the home of former official Alda Klosi, and Erisa Fero, a former employee of the National Agency for Information Society (AKSHI), who was convicted in a drug trafficking-related case.

The release process is underway in all prisons across the country under the supervision of the relevant authorities and is expected to be completed by the end of the day. In addition to its humanitarian purpose for certain categories of convicted individuals, the amnesty is also intended to help reduce prison overcrowding.