CHARGES / Arben Ahmetaj sues the Government in Strasbourg

Former Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Arben Ahmetaj has filed a lawsuit against the Albanian government at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in Strasbourg, accusing it of violating parliamentary immunity and the right to privacy during investigations conducted against him by SPAC.

According to official documents, the complaint was filed together with his partner, Erjola Hoxha, and submitted on May 8, 2024. The case was officially communicated to the Albanian government on October 6, 2025.

The allegations concern a search carried out on March 9, 2023, at Ahmetaj and Hoxha’s residence, as well as the seizure of Hoxha’s phone, based on an order from the Supreme Court (GJKKO).

Ahmetaj claims the search was unlawful because he was a member of the Albanian Parliament at the time, and according to Article 73, paragraph 2 of the Constitution, a deputy’s residence cannot be searched without prior parliamentary approval.

In their complaint, Ahmetaj and his partner argue that they had no effective legal remedy to challenge the search and seizure order, claiming violations of Article 8 (right to respect for private and family life and home) and Article 13 (right to an effective legal remedy) of the European Convention on Human Rights.

The Strasbourg Court has requested the Albanian government to clarify:

1. Whether there was a violation of the first applicant’s right to respect for his home, as guaranteed by Article 8 of the Convention. In particular, whether the search was conducted in compliance with Article 73(2) of the Constitution regarding MPs’ immunity, and whether the first applicant exhausted any effective legal remedy in this regard.

2. Whether domestic law and practices provided sufficient procedural mechanisms to challenge the legality of the search order, the way the search of their home, the person, and Hoxha’s mobile phone was conducted, or the seizure of items from their residence, as required by Articles 8 and 13 of the Convention. Specifically, whether the March 8, 2023 court decision was appealable.

“KORÇA BOOM”