Albanian opposition leader released from house arrest but still faces corruption charges

TIRANA, Albania (AP) — An Albanian court on Wednesday released from house arrest former Prime Minister Sali Berisha, who leads the opposition Democratic Party and is charged with corruption.

The Special Court for Corruption and Organized Crime, which covers cases involving senior officials and politicians, revoked its order for Berisha’s house arrest issued almost a year ago, without giving any reason.

In December, Berisha’s parliamentary immunity was removed and he was placed under house arrest after he violated an earlier order to report to the court every two weeks. He was also barred from traveling abroad, but that order was struck down last week by the Constitutional Court.

During his period of house arrest, Berisha, 80, stayed in his apartment in downtown Tirana. Though he was banned from communicating with other people than his family and lawyers, every evening he gave speeches to small groups of supporters gathered outside his building.

Depriving Berisha of communication and physical presence to lead his party was a daily issue in Albania’s politics because he’s the leader of the main opposition party. A parliamentary election will take place next spring.

A year ago in October, prosecutors publicly put him under investigation for allegedly abusing his post to help his son-in-law, Jamarber Malltezi, privatize public land to build 17 apartment buildings in the capital, Tirana.

In September Berisha was formally charged with corruption in connection with a property deal. He has denied the charges, describing them as political repression ordered by Prime Minister Edi Rama of the governing left-wing Socialist Party.

Berisha served as Albania’s prime minister from 2005-2013, and as president from 1992-1997. He was re-elected as a lawmaker for the Democratic Party in the 2021 parliamentary elections.

The United States government in May 2021 and the United Kingdom in July 2022 barred Berisha and close family members from entering their countries because of his alleged involvement in corruption.

Members of the Democratic Party and their supporters in an opposition coalition have been holding protests over the arrests of their leader Berisha and former President Ilir Meta in separate corruption cases, saying the charges are politically motivated.

The opposition accuses the government of corruption and wants it to be replaced by a technocratic caretaker Cabinet before the 2025 parliamentary election.

The United States and the European Union have urged the opposition to resume dialogue with the government, saying violence won’t help the country integrate into the 27-nation European Union.

Earlier in October, Tirana started discussions with the bloc on aligning with the EU on the rule of law, the functioning of democratic institutions and the fight against corruption. Albania aims to join the bloc by 2030, according to Rama.

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Follow Llazar Semini at https://x.com/lsemini

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