TIRANA, Albania — An Albanian court on Saturday ordered the house arrest of former Prime Minister Sali Berisha. Berisha, who leads the opposition Democratic Party, is under investigation for possible corruption.
The judge of the Special Court of First Instance for Corruption and Organized Crime, which is hearing cases involving high-ranking ** and politicians, accepted the request of the prosecutor to put the 79-year-old Berisha under house arrest for violating the restrictive measures that had previously been reported every two weeks. He was also banned from traveling abroad.
His lawyer said the court also barred Berisha from communicating with people other than family members who lived with him. Gjokutaj said he would appeal the court's order.
There are no criminal charges or new evidence to support this new request," said another lawyer, Sokol Mengjesi. "In such cases, none of the legal standards required to impose or escalate such restrictions are met. ”
Albania** reported that the police arrived at the apartment complex in Berisha, in the center of Tirana. It is unclear how ** plans to monitor him.
Last week, parliament voted to strip Berisha of his legal immunity. Members loyal to Berisha tried to disrupt the meeting and boycott the vote.
Berisha criticized the investigation and arrest of him as a political crackdown ordered by Prime Minister Rama, who also warned that a "strong **" could happen
Since Berisha is the leader of the main opposition party, depriving him of contact with the outside world could become a broader political issue.
The Democratic Party calls on all Albanians and their supporters to continue our 'today or forever' fight to restore political pluralism and punish Edi Rama as it deserves. "After the judge's order, the senior leader of the party, Luciano Boci, said at a press conference.
In October, prosecutors opened a public investigation into Berisha, accusing him of abusing his power to help his son-in-law, Jamarber Malltezi, privatize public land to build 17 apartment buildings. Prosecutors have not yet filed formal charges with the Tribunal, and Berisha is technically still under investigation.
Rama's New Year's postcard is the arrest and isolation of opposition leaders!Berisha's son, Schkelzen, wrote on Facebook.
Rama declined to comment on the court's order authorizing Berisha to be placed under house arrest.
"The arrest of members of any political party is not a victory for any political party," he said. "These parties win elections to lead the country forward, and these parties are not military organizations that operate to eliminate their opponents. ”
Berisha was Prime Minister of Albania from 2005 to 2013 and ** from 1992 to 1997. He was re-elected as a Democratic member in the 2021 congressional elections.
The United States** and the United Kingdom** banned Berisha and his family from entering the country in May 2021 and July 2022, respectively, due to alleged involvement in corruption.
Just days before the investigation into Berisha's role in the land deal was published in October last year, opposition lawmakers routinely disrupted parliamentary meetings and the ruling Socialist Party refused to set up a commission to investigate corruption cases involving Rama and other **high-level**.
The Socialist Party said the plan did not meet constitutional requirements.
At present, the EU has agreed to start the process of harmonizing Albanian law with EU law as part of the Balkan country's path to full EU membership. Autumn and Winter Check-in Challenge