The Special Court of Appeals Against Corruption and Organized Crime upheld the detention order for the leader of the Freedom Party and former President of Albania, Ilir Meta, on Thursday.

Following the decision, Meta responded via social media, saying he felt no disappointment with what he called a “scripted justice soap opera.” He emphasized that he is eager for the trial to begin so he can dismantle the accusations, which he claims were fabricated against him.

FULL STATEMENT:

“No disappointment with the ‘Scripted Justice’ soap opera.

Thanks to the tireless attorney, Mr. Kujtim Cakrani, who spent two hours speaking for those who neither have ears to listen nor the integrity to act in respect of the Constitution, the European Convention on Human Rights, or the law.

But the lawyer believes even the walls can hear, and for that, I thank him once again for his effort — which, in any case, has been recorded for the exhaustion of all internal procedures in a judicial system under the permanent surveillance of SPAK, which, naturally, takes its orders and accusations from the Socialist Party’s assembly podium.

They never had any evidence, they haven’t found any evidence, and they have no chance of fabricating any, despite the disgusting provocations even here at Cell 313.

No matter how long they drag out the investigation, no matter how many exonerating proofs they hide, confrontation is inevitable — and we can’t wait for the trial to start, so all of Albania and the world can know who truly understands Charles McGonigal’s English — the man who, together with Edi Rama and Altin Dumani, registered the CEZ-DIA case in December 2019 to blackmail and investigate me as President of the Republic (a case already judged in Albania and the Vienna Arbitration Court), at the peak of the Constitutional Court crisis.

I am not the one endangering evidence — they are the ones who have hidden it.

I am not intimidating witnesses — they are the ones who have coerced and recruited witnesses, converting them into Socialist Party supporters through threats.

This is a confrontation we will win — on behalf of all Albanians who are paying dearly for a justice system that has no relation to the rule of law or to the European Convention on Human Rights.

This has recently been clearly understood by the residents of Theth, and soon all Albanians will realize it even more clearly.

Ilir Meta and the Freedom Party will always be on the side of the Albanian people, defending the Constitution and sovereignty, against the Albanian-speaking mercenaries who have only one project — the depopulation of Albania.

And since some of these views have been heard before, don’t hesitate to read the latest news on how 270 million euros from USAID were used by Soros-backed actors to capture the justice system.”