In the context of the “Gërdec” case, the Anti-Corruption and Organized Crime Court granted a request on Friday for a standard trial process instead of an expedited one, made by the defense attorney representing Fatmir Mediu.

During the opening of the session, the defense team called for the trial to proceed through regular proceedings and submitted a list of 90 witnesses to be examined as part of the open trial against former Minister of Defense Fatmir Mediu. This trial is related to the investigation into the explosion at the munitions depot in Gërdec village that occurred on March 15, 2008, resulting in the tragic loss of 26 lives.

On the other hand, Dorjan Matlija, the lawyer representing the families affected by the Gërdec explosion, expressed at the end of the court session that presenting a list of 90 witnesses was a strategic move by the defense to argue for a transition from an expedited trial to a regular one.

“In today’s session, the defendant’s request to proceed with a standard trial was accepted. This means that the court has acknowledged the defendant’s right to opt for a regular trial process. Mr. Mediu’s actions through his legal team today aimed to justify the request for a standard trial. During a regular trial, all aspects can be thoroughly examined,” explained Matlija.

Matlija further clarified, “The list of witnesses includes both individuals who were involved in the proceedings and others who were not. Those who were not part of the proceedings, to the best of my knowledge, are primarily linked to the question of why Albania needed to carry out demilitarization, rather than focusing on the specifics of how the demilitarization was executed. The trial’s focus should be on the process of demilitarization, including who issued orders, how it was carried out, the technology involved, and the supervision of this operation, rather than why the Ministry of Defense chose to demilitarize during Fatmir Mediu’s tenure.”

Former Minister of Defense Fatmir Mediu faces charges of “abuse of duty” and “abuse of duty in collaboration with military commanders” in connection with the militarization and demilitarization process of ammunition conducted at the former “Tank Brigade” facility in Gërdec village, involving cooperation with other Ministry of Defense officials.