Albania Parliament lifts immunity of opposition leader Sali Berisha – JURIST

Albania’s Parliament voted to lift immunity of opposition leader and former Prime Minister Sali Berisha on Thursday following his indictment on corruption charges. The decision comes after prosecutors sought to strip Berisha of his parliamentary immunity because he breached their decision to report regularly while he was under investigation.

Albanian prosecutors in the Special Prosecutor’s Office against Corruption and Organized Crime charged Berisha with corruption and money laundering offenses in October for allegedly using his powers as PM to corrupt senior officials to attain the privatization of a state-owned sports complex for the benefit of his son-in-law, Jamarber Malltezi. Berisha has denied the accusations, claiming they are politically motivated. Albanian police detained Malltezi on the same charges, while Berisha was ordered by prosecutors to report to the police and was banned from leaving the country.

Berisha was previously accused by the Interior Minister Taulant Balla in 2020 of being complicit in the privatization of sports fields and other facilities owned by the Defense Ministry in the capital Tirana, Albania. The facilities were then replaced with multi-story buildings. Moreover, the US banned Berisha from entering the country in 2021, along with his family. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced the decision on X (formerly Twitter) stating that, “Former President of Albania Sali Berisha’s corrupt acts undermined democracy in Albania. I am publicly designating Berisha and his immediate family members as ineligible for entry into the United States. We remain #UnitedAgainstCorruption with our partners in Albania.”

Albania’s political scene has been unstable as tensions between the ruling Socialist Party and the opposition continue to escalate over Berisha’s corruption charges. In November, members of Parliament set off smoke bombs following a vote on the country’s 2024 budget they deemed to be unconstitutional. Furthermore, the country has experienced anti-government movements earlier this year when protestors demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama, accusing him of corruption and manipulation.

The vote lifting his immunity puts Berisha at risk of being arrested. He faces a four to 12 years prison sentence if he is found guilty.