How much prison time does the journalist who fined money, Elio Lazaj, risk?

2026-02-13 13:25:00, Aktualitet CNA

Yesterday, at around 1:00 PM, the State Police in cooperation with the Tirana Prosecutor's Office organized the "Portal 1" operation, where they arrested citizen Elio Lazaj in flagrante delicto, who was caught taking a large sum of money from a state official, whom he had been attacking by slandering, accusing, threatening, and deceiving publicly for almost 2 years. (READ HERE)

According to investigations, it has been established that two years ago Lazaj asked the state official for around 40 thousand euros.

Then he removed some of the articles, started attacking him again later, and now he has entered into negotiations, demanding huge sums of money starting at 20 thousand euros to remove the articles and stop writing about him.

EXCLUSIVE/ Journalist fined for arrest
February 12, 13:21

But it should be noted that on the other hand, there were political orders to write to the official, but the main goal was to denigrate citizen Belind Këlliçi.

The latter has also filed a report with the Tirana Police, where he has also emphasized the reason for these attacks, which are politically motivated by certain segments and structures linked to the mayor of Tirana, Erion Veliaj, and individuals from the underworld who manage anonymous online media, abusive, defamatory and denigrating portals.

"The embodiment of media killers"/ Këlliçi: A journalist was arrested today for violating the fine
February 12, 18:48

According to data provided by CNA, the investigation continues by prosecutor Asllan Bajramaj and four more phones have been seized from Lazaj, which are expected to be disassembled to further reveal the details, as investigators suspect that we are dealing with a criminal group where not only Lazaj is involved, but also other individuals who financed and supported him.

An even broader scheme is being unraveled, as various writings, slanders, and insults are circulating on several online portals and it is suspected that they are directed by the same hand.

Four phones of pseudo-journalist seized/ "The key" to suspected extortion scheme
February 12, 22:54

According to data provided by CNA, Tirana prosecutor Asllan Bajramaj was able to secure a court decision for citizen Elio Lazaj to be kept under surveillance for a long period.

Audio and video recordings were then made, which clearly show the moments when Lazaj threatens and coerces the state official to take the sums of money to remove the writings and not attack him further.

The indictment published by the State Police in yesterday's announcement states that citizen Elio Lazaj is charged under Article 109/b of the Criminal Code:

"Coercion by threat and violence to give up property", in the first paragraph, which states that: "Coercion by threat and violence to perform or not perform a certain action in order to unjustly obtain property or any other type of benefit, for oneself or for a third party, is punishable by imprisonment from two to eight years of deprivation of liberty".

According to the Criminal Code, Article 109/b, which you can see in the photo above, Elio Lazaj risks a minimum of two to eight years in prison in the criminal situation he is currently in.

CNA has also provided other data related to the suspended sentence of citizen Lazaj for illegal possession of weapons and drugs.

Also, several other convictions and trials that occurred in the Criminal Court of Tirana, such as the insult made repeatedly, in the same form, using his portals, his social networks to intimidate, threaten, curse, insult and damage not only the image, but with a specific purpose of denigrating various characters according to the orders he received.

The verdict is clear/ The drugged journalist is also punished for defamation and insult
October 16, 16:10

Therefore, looking at this data, a legal expert told CNA that Lazaj risks more than two years in prison at least, since prosecutor Asllan Bajramaj in the situation the defendant is in would never ask for the minimum, in any case even if he were an accomplice or repentant, because he has been convicted before, is a repeat offender in various criminal offenses and this time was caught red-handed.

At a minimum, prosecutor Asllan Bajramaj would request at least five to six years of imprisonment for citizen Lazaj. The court will then make the decision based on the facts, circumstances, and evidence provided by the prosecution.

Details from the operation/ How the journalist who fined the fine was arrested
February 12, 13:55

According to the Criminal Code, Lazaj would be sentenced to a minimum of two years in prison, but since he is on probation and has committed other very serious and repeat criminal offenses, Lazaj risks possibly double this sentence.

Drug-using journalist convicted of defamation and insult/ Court decision that sinks Elio Lazen
October 17, 23:17

We are talking about the part of the investigation up to these moments, without going further into the analysis of the phones seized by the police that have worried quite a few individuals in the political circles of the capital, who are suspected of being linked to Elio Lazaj in the function of a structured criminal group in the media to blackmail, threaten, denigrate, and impose fines on various individuals, but also focusing on politics and attacking opponents, mainly those in the opposition, but also figures in power who have refused to provide services to these individuals.

But this is expected to be clarified by unlocking the phones and revealing the full orders that Elio Lazaj received from third parties./ CNA