Notorious Behar Bajri left in prison by Special Court
Special Court of Appeals for Corruption and Organized Crime has left this Thursday in effect the ‘prison arrest’ measure for Behar Bajri, who is accused of a series of serious criminal offences. The 43-year-old was extradited from France to Albania in November after his arrest in a bar in Paris …
Elbasan, man arrested after stealing EUR 17,000 off brother
Police of Elbasan arrested this Thursday a 38-year-old wanted for theft. Law enforcement revealed that he had stolen 17 thousand euros from his brother’s apartment in April 2023. His wife is also under investigation, who is accused of being an accomplice in this theft. On its part, the Police also …
Shkoder, 32 kg of cannabis seized, five arrested
Over 32 kg of cannabis sativa were found this Sunday in the village of Plan of Shkodra. The amount of drugs was found by police, part of the mega-operation ‘Tempulli’ and it is believed that the drugs is property of a criminal group of 11 persons, five of them arrested. …
Perpetrator of the murder of businessman Nikulaj arrives to Albania
Portuguese Ruben Saraiva, who is suspected of being the person who executed businessman Ardian Nikulaj in April of this year, has been extradited from Morocco to Albania. He arrived this Sunday morning at Rinas Airport. The Portuguese was arrested in May and has been imprisoned in Morocco. until the authorities …
Albania’s former prime minister and leader of largest opposition group, Sali Berisha, placed under house arrest, ordered not to communicate with public
TIRANA, Dec. 30, 2023 – Sali Berisha, Albania’s former prime minister and leader of the country’s largest opposition group, has been placed under police-supervised house arrest and ordered to stop communicating with anyone outside his household through a ruling of the Special Court against Corruption and Organized Crime. The ruling …
P.M highlights Albania’s economic growth in 2023
Prime Minister Edi Rama, at the year-end conference with journalists, emphasized that 2023 has been a very good year for Albania. The head of the government added that the year will close with an economic growth of nearly 4%, a figure that exceeds the forecast of the government and international …
Police Director: Officers haven’t admitted use of ‘Sky ECC’
General Director of State Police, Muhamet Rrumbullaku taled this Saturday about the work of the law enforcement in 2023, focusing at the self-cleaning of police. At the annual meeting with journalists, Rrumbullaku spoke about filling out the forms, he said that they have all been collected, but no one has …
Sali Berisha under house arrest
Judge Irena Gjoka announced the decision today, accepting SPAK’s request for tightening the security measure for the former prime minister. From today, Sali Berisha will be under house arrest. It remains to be seen if SPAK’s request has been approved in its entirety, in addition to house arrest, GJKKO has …
Rama reacts after house arrest measure on former PM Berisha
At the same time that the Prime Minister, Edi Rama holds the annual conference, GJKKO (Special Court against Corruption and Organized Crime) made the decision to toughen the measure against the former Prime Minister, Sali Berisha, into house arrest. Rama reacted by stating that it is not a party’s victory …
Next hearing on former PM Berisha’s arrest to be held
Next hearing regarding the measure of arrest against former Prime Minister Sali Berisha is expected to be held this Saturday, at 12:00. In Thursday’s session, judge Irena Gjoka argued that the postponement of the decision was made to give time to the lawyers to familiarize themselves with the evidence. On …
Forty-one environmental organisations from 28 countries have called for a halt to the planned development by Jared Kushner of Albania’s Sazan island as a luxury resort, saying it threatens the valuable biodiversity of the area. Original post Here
Kosovo, Bulgaria and Turkey have signed the Board of Peace Charter, under Donald Trump’s auspices, but several other Balkan countries are still pondering whether to join the initiative. Original post Here
Balkan countries are continuing to sacrifice their remaining clean river stretches to development and pollution, a new assessment warns. Original post Here
The Bulgarian mystic’s doomy predictions continue to grab headlines in Albania and elsewhere – even though many seem fabricated and sometimes appear to serve Russian geopolitical narratives. Original post Here
Tirana, 21.01.2026 – Research on disability has increasingly moved into the centre of international scientific and policy discussions, reflecting broader debates about inclusion, quality of life and access to public space. Against this wider backdrop, the King Salman Center for Disability Research (KSCDR) has opened nominations for the 4th cycle of …
While Albania’s Edi Rama welcomed an invitation to join Donald Trump’s proposed Board of Peace, Croatia, Slovenia, Romania and Greece merely confirmed that they had received invitations. Original post Here
When the “Choo Choo” Train Never Came It begins with a scene that now feels almost surreal. In 2022, during a staged media event in Tirana, Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Balluku enthusiastically explained to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen that the Tirana–Durrës–Rinas railway would be completed by 2024. …
Catch up on the weekend’s most important developments with Balkan Insight’s digest of news from countries across the region. Original post Here
The United States has once again issued an unusually clear and public warning about the threat posed by Albanian organized crime groups and their links to Latin American drug cartels, framing the issue not only as a criminal challenge but as a direct risk to Albania’s national security and economic …
As the new year gets off to a cold start in the region, our selection of Balkan Insight Premium stories takes a look at the high expectations and sobering realities of what 2026 holds in store. Original post Here