The Independent Qualification Commission decided to dismiss Judge Aleks Nikolli from the Shkodra Court of Appeal.

Nikolli is one of the three judges who were “in favor” of reducing the life sentence of Dritan Dajti to 25 years in prison.

Dajti was convicted for killing four anti-mafia officers: Sajmir Duçkollari, Fatos Xhani, Altin Dizdari, and Kastriot Feskaj, in 2009.

The Court of First Instance for Serious Crimes had sentenced Dajti to life in prison, but he challenged the decision at the Court of Appeals.

After a long series of adjournments, the Court accepted Dajti’s claims, commuting his sentence from life imprisonment to 25 years in prison. 

The judges who were “in favor” were: Aleks Nikolla, Petrit Aliaj and Skënder Damini.

Of the three, only Damini has not yet appeared for the vetting process, while both Nikola and Aliaj have been fired.

The changing of the decision brought a lot of public reactions, while the Serious Crimes Prosecution started criminal proceedings against the three judges, with suspicions of corruption and power abuse.

The Minister of Justice, Etilda Gjonaj, had also asked the High Judicial Council to dismiss the three judges.

However, even the two judges who did not vote “in favor” of Dajti’s sentence, Fuat Vjerdha and Lindita Hoxha, did not pass the vetting process and were fired a few days ago.