Buying votes, SPAK closes investigations for Agim Loci
The Special Prosecutor’s Office (SPAK) has closed the investigation into Agim Loci, who is accused of election corruption. According to SPAK, Loci has given a monetary sum of up to 10,000 ALL to vote in favor of his daughter, who competed in the May 14 elections, on the list of …
Analysis: Albania’s parliament undermines Constitutional Court in Xhaçka ruling
Albania’s parliament, under the control of the Socialist Party, has overturned a decision made by the Constitutional Court that would see to the expulsion of MP Olta Xhaçka from parliament. Xhaçka is a former Minister of Foreign Affairs as well as the Minister of Defence, and is seen as a …
The Empty Seat in Strasbourg
When the newly elected European Parliament convenes this year on July 16 there will be an empty seat in the plenary hall within the Louise Weiss building in Strasbourg. Fredi Beleri, a dual Albanian and Greek national, who will surely be elected on the ticket of Greece’s ruling party, cannot …
Criminal amnesty/Manja: About 800 convicts benefit, no senior official is amnestied
The implementation of the criminal amnesty began this Wednesday. The Minister of Justice, Ulsi Manja, after a visit to the Rrogozhina prison, declared that about 800 convicts will benefit. Manja clarified that no senior official, who has been convicted by GJKKO, benefits from the criminal amnesty. According to Manja, from …
Criminal amnesty, among them former democratic mayor of Lezha, Fran Frrokaj
This Wednesday, the implementation of the criminal amnesty began. The number of convicts who benefit is 1100, of which 700 will be released immediately, while another 400 will benefit from a reduced sentence. In the Reçi prison, the beneficiaries are 150 convicts, among them the mayor of Lezha, Frran Frokaj. …
Criminal amnesty, will benefit 314 convicts
The implementation of the criminal amnesty begins this Wednesday. It was learned from IEVP Reç in Malësi i Madhe that about 150 convicts will benefit from the amnesty. There are about 700 prisoners in Reçi prison. Meanwhile, 150 people in IEVP Fier benefit from the amnesty. There are about 800 …
Convicted in absentia for drug production and sale, a 35-year-old man was arrested in Shkoder
A 35-year-old man was arrested in Shkodër as part of the police operation codenamed “Temple 2”. His arrest was carried out after on April 22, 2024, the Court of First Instance of the General Jurisdiction of Shkoder assigned the security measure “Arrest in prison”, for the criminal offense “Production and …
Two arrested for sports betting
Two people were arrested in a bar in Laç, after placing sports bets with mobile phones. A 34-year-old man and a 41-year-old man were arrested. As material evidence, 2 mobile phones of these citizens were seized. The procedural materials were passed to the Prosecutor’s Office at the Court of First …
SPAK denies the decision of GJKKO for Alqi Bllako and Lefter Koka
The Special Prosecutor’s Office disputes the innocence of Alqi Bllakos for the Elbasan incinerator and the dropping of the charge of abuse of office against the former Minister of the Environment Lefter Koka, as the latter was only convicted of corruption. SPAK requests in the Special Appeal the punishment of …
A 65-year-old wanted man is arrested, he killed a pedestrian in an accident in 2014
A 65-year-old man, who was wanted, was arrested in Elbasan as part of the coded police operation “Rule of Law”. In 2014, the 65-year-old, while driving the truck on the “Bilisht-Korçë” road, collided with a vehicle and a pedestrian lost his life in the collision. The 65-year-old was sentenced in …
Our selection of Premium stories this week looks at the challenges facing the region as the summer season winds down and business-as-usual resumes. Original post Here
Court again bans MPs from forming institutions deriving from the February elections while it considers a complaint about the failure to elect a deputy speaker from the Serb community, as guaranteed in the constitution. Original post Here
On the eve of Saudi Arabia’s Cultural Week, which will take place in Tirana from September 16–20 at the Palace of Congresses, the Ambassador of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques to the Republic of Albania, Mr. Faisal bin Ghazi Hafzi, through a press statement, praised this event as …
When Denisa Kasa returned from abroad and saw the state of Albania’s filthy waterways, she was shocked. Now she has formed an independent collective of young people dedicated to the ‘dream of clean rivers’. Original post Here
Tirana will soon open its doors to the sights, sounds, and flavors of Arabia. From 16 to 20 September 2025, the Palace of Congresses will transform into a vibrant stage for Saudi Cultural Week, a five-day celebration of art, heritage, and creativity hosted by the Saudi Ministry of Culture. The festival promises to be more …
Albania’s hosting of an exiled Iranian opposition group was never likely to be easy. Now it’s under criminal investigation. Original post Here
Our selection of Balkan Insight Premium stories this week sheds light on police brutality, hidden influence, strained bilateral relations and other turbulent issues across the region. Original post Here
The city of Durres on Albania’s Adriatic coast boasts a fine selection of Roman-era mosaics. But due to a lack of initiative by the local authorities, progress has been slow to preserve them and make them available for the public to view. Original post Here
As Mediterranean fire seasons grow in intensity, Albania’s government faces calls to invest in firefighting and reforestation. Original post Here
Interview with Migen Qiraxhi, Project Manager at Qëndresa Qytetare, July 17 In Albania, where higher education is often portrayed as a bridge to opportunity and European integration, the reality on the ground tells a darker story. Behind university gates, corruption, nepotism, and political interference have quietly hollowed out institutions that …