Veliaj officially named a defendant by SPAK / Lawyers speak out: "He is the legitimate mayor!" — Investigative secrecy breached, laws violated

Statement from the defense lawyers of Erion Veliaj regarding the indictment by SPAK

We, the defense lawyers of Mr. Erion Veliaj, express our deep concern over repeated attempts to turn a criminal proceeding into a spectacular public trial through the use of SPAK-affiliated media and blatant violations of the law, such as the illegal disclosure of investigative secrets. So-called “exclusive revelations” presented in commissioned articles do not aim to uncover the truth but rather to build a pre-made public narrative before the case is proven with facts in a courtroom.

In recent days, further details have been leaked to the media, including witness testimonies.

In a democratic and European country, justice is carried out within judicial institutions, not in newspaper headlines, social media, or “crime series” produced by media outlets controlled through anonymous and unlawful leaks. Even more concerning is that these leaks occur during the preliminary investigation phase, which is under the mandatory protection of the prosecuting authority.

This is where the failure is indisputable: not only has the integrity of the procedure not been protected, but the principle of investigative secrecy has been severely violated, turning the process into a public farce.

We are documenting every act that not only distorts this criminal proceeding but also seriously undermines the constitutional order and European justice standards on which Albania’s path towards European Union membership is based.

This case represents a notable and desperate regression towards a pre-democratic era.

Veliaj is the legitimate and democratically elected mayor of Tirana, voted by more than 160,000 citizens. Although his rights, as well as those of the citizens he represents, are protected by the Constitution of the Republic of Albania, he continues to be held in total isolation, under harsh and unjustified restrictive conditions that prevent him from performing his duties as mayor.

We are confident that when this prosecution is faced with an impartial judicial body, it will collapse and be revealed for what it truly is: a criminal prosecution that fundamentally reverses Albania’s progress toward compliance with European justice standards and the rule of law, while simultaneously depriving the citizens of Tirana of their mayor’s services and causing great harm to the city and its inhabitants.

“KORÇA BOOM”