The Court of Appeal "beheads" the journalist who fined him/leaves him in prison

2026-03-09 15:27:00, Aktualitet CNA

The Tirana Court of Appeal has remanded in prison the journalist Elio Lazaj. The decision was taken in the session held today. The journalist Elio Lazaj was arrested on February 12, 2026 after an operation by the Tirana Police.

Lazaj is accused of the criminal offense of "Coercion by threat and violence for the release of property." For this criminal offense, according to the Criminal Code, Article 109/b, Elio Lazaj risks a minimum of two to eight years in prison in the criminal situation he is currently in.

CNA has reported that Elio Lazaj's four phones have been seized, where they are expected to be analyzed to uncover communications and a scheme that goes beyond Elio Lazaj.

Elio Lazaj threatened, blackmailed, and coerced a state official through communications, but also through his constant writings.

Elio Lazaj continued his scheme of insults, threats, blackmail and insults through a portal and after many investigations conducted by the Tirana Prosecutor's Office, the police caught him red-handed and put him in handcuffs. Elio Lazaj was arrested after months of attacking his portal and imposing fines on a state official.

For two years, journalist Elio Lazaj blackmailed an official by slandering, writing and threatening him, allegedly in connection with a "call center" and then making other accusations against opposition officials.

It is learned that Lazaj initially demanded 40,000 euros and then another smaller amount, around 10,000 euros, but at the moment when the official went to give him the money, blue uniforms, officers of the Criminal Police and Economic Crime, appeared and handcuffed the journalist who had been fined. We recall that on February 16, a hearing was held at the Tirana Court where the measure of "prison arrest" was upheld against the journalist who had been fined. / CNA