During a ceremony organized by the Municipality of Tirana for the 105th anniversary of Tirana being declared the capital, Prime Minister Edi Rama once again addressed the arrest of Mayor Erion Veliaj.

Rama stated that there are suspicions that this case is unconstitutional and that SPAK effectively terminated the mayor’s mandate with those who elected him.

“There is an investigation into Veliaj’s personal life, and whether it aligns with the Constitution is not for me to say, but there are doubts that it has gone beyond constitutional limits. Today, only an idiot and a shameless person can claim that we control the justice system.”

The Prime Minister raised concerns about Veliaj’s arrest just three months before elections, emphasizing that the investigation is based on an anonymous novel rather than concrete evidence of a flagrant crime.

“I have personally witnessed the intimidation of individuals in this process. People have been pressured in a way that reminds me of when I was taken by the police before the fall of the regime. I do not understand how the mayor of Tirana can be arrested three months before elections based on an anonymous novel. This is not normal, as there is no flagrancy or crime that would require an immediate reaction,” Rama said.

He also stressed that while he cannot determine Veliaj’s guilt or innocence, he underlined that “the presumption of innocence for an elected official is not only an obligation toward him but also toward those who elected him, ensuring a fair and democratic process.”

Rama further stated that the pre-trial detention of elected officials is a harmful phenomenon and unacceptable in a democratic state.

“We are committed to fighting corruption, but this is not a corruption case. This is an investigation into a person without clear charges, based on anonymous files,” he said, emphasizing that Veliaj has been subjected to public lynching.

The Prime Minister expressed concern over “beheading Tirana” just three months before the elections, describing it as something abnormal for a democratic state.

“We are facing a paradox because the mayor, elected by a quarter of a million voters, is missing from his role, unable to fulfill his mandate with the people of Tirana. This mandate was interrupted by someone I personally do not even know by face.

If an elected official is taken without trial and locked in pre-trial detention, it is unclear to me who they are accountable to.

I do not know, and it is not my place to say whether Erion is guilty or innocent, but I do know that the presumption of innocence for an elected leader is not just an obligation to him as an individual but also to those who elected him. This ensures that both governance and justice proceed properly.

Until now, we have not commented, even when the mayor of Tropoja was taken from his office and imprisoned in another city in Albania, unable to fulfill his contract with the voters. He was accused of something, but without a trial.

As with other cases, we have considered these to be baseless decisions, believing that time and institutional reflection would bring justice without our interference. But what happened yesterday crossed every limit regarding individual rights.

Therefore, our support is for investigations and justice for any individual, regardless of their background, but always with respect for the separation of powers and the ability for an elected official to continue their duty until the investigation is concluded.

I must stress that the pre-trial detention of elected officials is a harmful phenomenon that we are facing here.

We will not waver in our fight against corruption, but today we are discussing a case that is not about corruption. This is an investigation into an individual whose personal and family life has been scrutinized through a long file with dozens of anonymous pages submitted in February last year.

I regret to say that I am not speaking as a neutral or impartial person in this matter because I have the privilege of leading the largest political force of Albanians.

However, this situation represents a public lynching and the removal of an important figure—the mayor of the capital—just three months before elections.

For me, this is not normal,” Rama concluded.