Former Socialist MP: Rejection of SPAK's request, a step back for the rule of law in Albania

2026-03-12 19:34:00, Politikë CNA

Former Socialist MP: Rejection of SPAK's request, a step back for the rule

Former Socialist MP Petro Koçi has reacted after the Parliament's decision to reject SPAK's request for Balluk's immunity.

According to Koçi, this decision constitutes a step back for the political process and the rule of law in Albania. He emphasizes that the concern regarding the use of pre-trial detention decisions against political figures cannot be addressed through an individual case, but should be managed through international practices and normative decisions of the judiciary, in consultation with the Venice Commission.

Koçi warns that the selective intervention of current politics in defense of certain individuals, whether from the opposition or the majority, compromises public commitment to respecting justice and the fight against corruption and organized crime.

"It is not the end of the world nor is it a sunny time for the Bershi opposition, but today's decision to reject SPAK's request for Parliament's permission for a security measure against a deputy under criminal prosecution constitutes a step backwards for the political process and the rule of law in Albania.

I appreciate the widespread concern regarding the expansion of the application of preliminary arrest decisions as a security measure against some political figures under criminal prosecution, but addressing this concern cannot be administered through an individual case, but only through interventions consulted with international practices in legislation or through normative decisions of higher levels of the judiciary, also previously consulted with the Venice Commission.

"The selective intervention of current politics in protecting certain individuals from criminal prosecution, the opposition in the Berisha case or the majority in the Balluku case, compromises the public and principled commitment of the political class to respect the new justice in the fight against corruption and organized crime," the former socialist MP declared./ CNA