The family of Martin Cani, the teenager who tragically lost his life near the “Fan Noli” school around two years ago, has reacted to yesterday’s statements by Prime Minister Edi Rama, accusing him of using their son’s name for political and propaganda purposes while evading the real responsibilities of the institutions that failed to protect him.
PRESS STATEMENT
Të lidhura
None found
Tirana, 17 July 2026
The Cani family expresses its deep outrage at the way Prime Minister Rama continues to use the name of our son, Martin Cani, for political and propaganda purposes, while evading the real responsibilities of the institutions that failed to protect him.
Even today, in his public speech, the Prime Minister stated: “Parents should feel reassured… the government is different from how it is portrayed on social media.” Yet the reality is entirely different: children continue to be killed, institutions continue to fail, and the tragedies are not stopping.
1. The killings of minors did not stop after TikTok was shut down
Despite the shutdown of TikTok, which the government used as a political justification following Martin’s killing, the reality is clear:
• A minor was killed in Maliq.
• Another minor was killed in Durrës.
These tragedies show that social media are not the cause of the killings, but rather the failure of the education system, the lack of safety in schools, and institutional irresponsibility.
2. Installing cameras does not solve the problem
The Prime Minister spoke today about a “smart city in schools” and the installation of cameras, saying: “The algorithm is a body that does what it is told.”
But cameras:
• do not prevent violence,
• do not replace psychologists,
• do not solve the lack of security,
• did not save Martin, and will not save other children without real measures.
Safety in schools requires action, not technological equipment for propaganda.
3. The Prime Minister says he “constantly thinks about Martin,” but has done nothing for our family
If the Prime Minister truly thinks about Martin:
• Why has he never met with our family?
• Why has he offered no institutional support?
• Why has he not apologised for the failures of the system he leads?
Words are not enough. We have seen only silence, avoidance, and the political use of our tragedy.
4. Why has the heart-lung machine that would have saved Martin not been purchased?
Martin died because:
• The Trauma Hospital had no cardiac surgeon;
• The Trauma Hospital did not have a heart-lung machine, which repairs the hearts of patients with cardiac injuries.
This machine costs less than a government car, yet it has still not been purchased.
How many more children must die for the government to understand that equipment saves lives, not cameras?
5. Why did the Prime Minister not criticise the ministers who laughed when Martin was mentioned in Parliament?
When Martin’s name was mentioned in Parliament:
• Minister Manastirliu laughed;
• Minister Balluku laughed.
The Prime Minister did not say a word. No condemnation. No punishment. No apology.
Is this the respect he claims to have for our son?
6. The police did not do their job – the murder weapon was found by a random passer-by
If the police had acted properly:
• The murder weapon would not have been found by a random citizen;
• Evidence would not have been at risk of being lost;
• The investigation would not have been incomplete.
This is clear evidence of the failure of law enforcement structures.
7. The Prime Minister must demand the urgent conclusion of the 18-month investigation into the Fan Noli school and the healthcare system
Instead of politicising Martin’s tragedy:
• The Prime Minister must demand the urgent conclusion of the investigation into the responsibility of the Fan Noli school, which did not notify the parents about Friday’s incident;
• He must demand the urgent conclusion of the investigation into the spectacular failure of the healthcare system, which sent Martin to the wrong hospital and did not have the equipment to save him.
Eighteen months of investigation without answers is an institutional disgrace.
We will not remain silent. Martin was not a political slogan. Martin was not a pretext for censorship. Martin was not a justification for cameras.
Martin was a good child, a footballer with dreams, a boy who deserved to live.
We demand:
• Justice for Martin
• Safety for Albania’s children
• Accountability from institutions
• Action, not words
The Cani Family
