At a meeting held today, Tirana City Council member Halit Valteri of the Socialist Party presented a resolution concerning the transfer of Tirana Mayor Erion Veliaj from the pre-trial detention facility in Durrës to the prison in Fier.
Valteri said the unexpected transfer and the conditions in which the mayor is being held are a serious concern. He stressed that Veliaj is presumed innocent and must be guaranteed all the rights provided by law.
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“We call on the Ministry of Justice and the General Directorate of Prisons to immediately provide transparency about the legal and factual reasons for this transfer. We also call for him to be provided with living conditions that meet legal and European standards, and for his health needs to be assessed immediately. As far as I know, Mr. Veliaj has also had an accident, has his leg in a cast, and has made several visits to hospital. For this reason, I do not understand what made it so urgent to take him to Fier. We call on the Ombudsperson to make the findings and recommendations of the inspection public, within the limits of the law,” Valteri said.
Tirana City Council members expressed concern about Erion Veliaj’s transfer from pre-trial detention in Durrës to the facility in Fier, as well as reports about the difficult conditions in which he is being held.
They said their concern had increased following the Ombudsperson’s visit to the facility in Fier, where issues requiring verification and an immediate response from the responsible institutions were identified.
“Erion Veliaj is a citizen in pre-trial detention, to whom the presumption of innocence applies, along with all the rights that the Constitution and the European Convention on Human Rights recognize for every individual. He is also the elected Mayor of Tirana, whose mandate has been confirmed by the Constitutional Court,” the resolution states.
According to the council members, pre-trial detention cannot be used to justify inhuman or degrading treatment, unjustified restrictions on communication with family members and lawyers, or the denial of healthcare.
For this reason, the council members are calling on the Ministry of Justice and the General Directorate of Prisons to provide immediate transparency about the legal and factual grounds for the transfer.
Another demand is that his living conditions be guaranteed in accordance with legal and European standards, alongside an immediate assessment of Erion Veliaj’s health needs.
The resolution also calls for his right to communicate with family members and legal representatives to be fully respected.
The council members are calling for any restrictions to be examined and for measures that are unjustified and impede the exercise of his rights to be lifted.
The Ombudsperson has been asked to publish the findings and recommendations from the inspection, within the limits of the law.
City Council members stressed that they have a responsibility to ensure that the situation does not create unlawful obstacles to the functioning of Tirana Municipality or the exercise of the mayor’s powers.
“We are not seeking privileges for Erion Veliaj, but the enforcement of the law and respect for human dignity and the rights afforded to every citizen,” the resolution states.
The council members concluded that justice cannot be served by violating human dignity and that public institutions must not remain indifferent in the face of serious allegations of violations of these rights.
