ResPublika and Soros Confirm Albanian Government is to Reopen Investigation on ’21 January’ Killings

Tirana, Albania | Tirana Echo – The Res Publica Center and the Soros Foundation have confirmed the Albanian Government is to reopen the investigation on the ’21 January’ killings where 4 people were killed during a protest in 2011 in Tirana’s main boulevard.

The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg hearing the case, said the rights of the victims’ families have been violated and that the investigation on the case should be reopened.

The case of ‘Veizi & Deda Against Albania’ was brought to ECHR’s attention by the Res Publika Center and the Open Society for Albania Foundation which have supported the four families seeking justice for their relatives killed during a protest turned violent organized by former opposition socialists against former PM Sali Berisha.

Socialists of current Prime Minister Edi Rama accuse Berisha of ordering the four killings, while the Democrats accuse Rama of inciting violence against the PM office through his angry socialist protesters, prompting the National Guard to open fire. The Guard have also accuses the Police chiefs at the time who allowed the angry crowd to storm the PM outside premises door with a car.

The case has been marred by six years of mutual accusations, long delays and no clear culprits for the four lives taken.

Representatives of the Albanian Government admitted to the Court in Strasbourg that the rights of the families had been violated and agreed to compensate them as well as reopen the investigation on the murders.

Andi Dobrushi of the Open Society Foundation in Albania said that the “ECHR position brings us a step closer to justice for one of the worst events during the democratic transition in the country. It is up to the Prosecutor and Albanian courts to fully investigate what happened, not only to ease the pain of families, but also to guarantee the right of life and civic protest in the country.”

PM Rama has promised justice for the families but has blamed the country’s corrupt justice system for not delivering. His critics claim Rama uses the ’21 January’ anniversary as an opportunistic show to gain political capital in the country.

In support of the verdict, Dorian Matlija of the Res Publica Center said they praise the readiness of the government to accept a solution by the ECHR and now “this would be a strong test for Albania’s justice institutions to restore public trust.”

Albania hopes to open accession talks with the European Union, however the EU has conditioned its membership bid on the full implementation of a justice reform which is currently on hold due to an ongoing political crisis in the small Balkan country.