The Albanian Special Court of First Instance for Corruption and Organized Crimes recently ordered the house arrest of Sali Berisha, former Prime Minister and leader of the Democratic Party, following charges of passive corruption. The decision was made under Article 237 of the Criminal Code, replacing a previous order that required Berisha to appear before the police under coercive personal security measures provided by Article 234 of the Penal Code.
Earlier, Berisha was banned from leaving the country under Article 233 of the Criminal Code. He was also banned from communicating with anyone apart from those residing with him, as per the decision of Judge Irena Gjoka. Recently, Albania’s parliament lifted Berisha’s immunity following claims by prosecutors that he violated their order to regularly appear before the police.
Now, Berisha faces up to 12 years of imprisonment if found guilty of the corruption charges. These charges include using his powers as PM to corrupt senior officials in order to benefit his son-in-law, Jamarber Malltezi, through the privatization of a state-owned sports complex. This is the second time he has faced accusations related to the privatization of state-owned facilities. Additionally, in 2021, Berisha and his family were banned from entering the US for “corrupt acts”.
Berisha opposed the court’s decision in a statement on Facebook, describing it as a display of “blind political revenge” by the current Prime Minister, Edi Rama. He blamed Rama for destroying political pluralism and establishing what he termed “the most corrupt dictatorial regime in Europe and beyond.”
Berisha has also expressed plans to continue fighting for the restoration of democracy in Albania, despite his house arrest and the standing charges. He previously requested the dismissal of Judge Irena Gjoka, a request that was rejected by the court due to conflict of interest.
Following Berisha’s house arrest, members of the Democratic Party have rallied in support outside his residence. Vice-president Luciano Boci has encouraged Albanians to continue supporting the restoration of political pluralism. Both parties have five days to appeal the decision to the Special Court of Appeal for Corruption and Organized Crimes.