Former Prime Minister Sali Berisha announced on Tuesday that the Correctional Tribunal of Paris has accepted his defamation lawsuit against US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
Berisha announced the development during his nationwide tour launched since his ousting from the Democratic Party’s parliamentary group from current leader Lulzim Basha.
U.S Secretary of State Antony Blinken publicly designated Berisha, and his close family members, citing “involvement in significant corruption” on May 19, a decision that bars him from entering US soil.
Former President of Albania Sali Berisha’s corrupt acts undermined democracy in Albania. I am publicly designating Berisha and his immediate family members as ineligible for entry into the United States. We remain #UnitedAgainstCorruption with our partners in Albania.
— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) May 19, 2021
The day after, Berisha declared the accusations raised against him by the US Secretary of State are “a product of slandering and public defamation”, charging his attorney to bring the case to the Correctional Tribunal of Paris.
“There is no one in Albania or the world that can say that I am or have been implicated in any corruptive affair, which is why I have spoken to my legal advisor to file a public slandering lawsuit against Antony Blinken in a neutral and respected country like France is,” the former premier said at the time.
Berisha, who is also one of the co-founders of the Democratic Party in Albania, called on Blinken to present the evidence against him in court.
“I hereby invite the Secretary of State to send any evidence, fact, or document that he has on Sali Berisha to the Paris Court. I guarantee you, he has nothing”, he said.
Berisha also revealed his plan to return to the chairmanship of the Democratic Party.
“Let’s open up a race where every candidate can have a fair game. One of them is Sali Berisha,” he declared.
