TIRANA, Oct 27 /ATA/ The chairman of the Socialist Party’s parliamentary group, Taulant Balla, stated in Parliament that crime in Albania has dropped significantly over the past decade, noting that while the new justice system has made progress, it still falls short of European standards.
Balla addressed the plenary session in which heads of the justice institutions were reporting.
He noted that 2023 saw the lowest number of homicides, totaling just 35 cases.
Balla addressed the opposition, recalling that last year alone saw 124 homicides. “The number of homicides in Albania has dropped nearly fourfold from 2012 to 2024,” he said.
In his remarks, Balla also highlighted that during on his term of office as Minister of Interior, he debunked the myth of no extraditions from the United Arab Emirates” stressing that “in 2024 and 2025, Albania extradited more individuals from Dubai than any other country in Europe.”
On the justice reform, he described the Special Prosecution (SPAK) as “the reform’s most successful component” and stressed that the ruling majority has never meddled in the operations of judicial institutions.
Balla stated, “We have refrained from any involvement in the selection or oversight of prosecutors and judges.”
He added that the changes within the justice institutions represent a historic shift, the most significant since Albania’s proclamation of independence in 1912.
Balla expressed concern that some prosecutors and judges have prioritized personal or other interests over the public interest.
Balla stressed that the public interest should guide the justice system, noting that any prosecutor or judge who disregards it, particularly in cases involving public spaces, is failing in their duty. He also highlighted that specific constitutional rights must prevail in the General Prosecutor’s Office and first-instance courts.
“I believe that the presumption of innocence is a constitutional right that must prevail. The duration of pretrial detention needs to be addressed, and the public disclosure of investigative data aimed at public shaming must be resolved,” he emphasized.
In closing, he stressed that any amendment to the justice legislation, regardless of its perceived necessity, cannot be enacted solely by a parliamentary majority and must, in all instances, receive approval from the European Commission.
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