Tensions After Anti-Rama Protest: Helsinki Committee Raises Concerns Over Detention of Activists and Journalist

After the rally held outside Parliament ended, law enforcement officers detained and escorted several citizens to the police station. The Albanian Helsinki Committee has expressed serious reservations about these actions, stressing that the manner of the police intervention is a cause for alarm. Representatives of the organization told News24 journalist Fatmira Nikolli that such practices infringe on press freedom and create uncertainty regarding the legal rights of protesters.

According to News24 sources, those taken to the police station included civil society members, media professionals, and Mirela Ruko, a representative of the Together Movement.

One specific case that has drawn sharp criticism is that of Ernest Keta. He was apprehended by police officers on hospital premises while receiving medical treatment. He had sought medical assistance immediately after the demonstration, but the authorities went there and took him to the police station. Although he was later released, the Committee considers it unacceptable that he was detained while being treated by doctors.