28 Oct Statement by President Ilir Meta: The Denial of Freedom of Expression and the Paralysis of Judicial Proceedings Seriously Undermine Fundamental Rights and Public Trust in Justice
Today, at the “Jordan Misja” Prision Institution, at their request, I met with Members of Parliament Ms. Antoneta Dhima and Mr. Saimir Hasalla, members of the Parliamentary Committee on Citizen Initiatives, Cooperation and Institutional Oversight.
I provided a clear and detailed account of the grave violations of the law that have marred the investigation, my pre-trial detention, and the judicial proceedings against me, violations that have been repeatedly documented and confirmed by the Albanian Helsinki Committee.
I called for the implementation of all recommendations issued by the Albanian Helsinki Committee, particularly those concerning the protection of freedom of expression, a right that has been deliberately denied to me for more than two years.
Despite the requests submitted and the authorisations issued by SPAK for journalists, I continue to be prevented from giving media interviews while in pre-trial detention.
On this very issue, in its recommendation dated 25 May 2026, the Albanian Helsinki Committee emphasised the need to guarantee this right and suggested that interviews also be facilitated through electronic means, including online platforms such as Zoom.
The failure to implement this recommendation exposes the true motives behind this entirely politically motivated pre-trial detention and the unimaginable extent to which my rights are being violated.
My greatest concern, which I addressed in particular, was the deliberate conflict, clearly orchestrated for political purposes, between the First Instance Special Court against Corruption and Organised Crime and the National Bar Association. For at least two months, this conflict has paralysed approximately 600 court hearings, with severe consequences for due process and the effective legal representation of citizens involved in these proceedings.
I expressed my profound disappointment at the indifference shown by the Albanian Parliament towards this situation, particularly given that the only legislative initiative undertaken by Mr. Tedi Blushi, Chair of the Parliamentary Group of the Freedom Party, on 14 October 2026, was rejected on 22 October 2026 and excluded from the Parliament’s agenda.
I also voiced my concern over the position taken by Mr. Ilir Rusi, Chair of the High Judicial Council, during his public reporting on 13 October 2026 before the Parliamentary Committee on Citizen Initiatives, Cooperation and Institutional Oversight, when he stated that he had no intention of taking institutional action to bring this conflict to an end.
Such a stance by both Parliament and the High Judicial Council seriously undermines public trust in the justice system and in the institutions constitutionally mandated to administer judicial proceedings.
European integration cannot be merely a politically proclaimed objective. It requires the genuine protection of fundamental freedoms and rights, institutional transparency, compliance with the standards of the European Convention on Human Rights, and an independent judiciary that operates in accordance with the law, free from political interference and the application of double
standards.