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Criminal Amnesty/The Criminal Lawyers Association of Albania supports the initiative of the Ministry of Justice

2025-12-29 15:54:00, Aktualitet CNA

Criminal Amnesty/The Criminal Lawyers Association of Albania supports the

The Albanian Criminal Lawyers Association has supported the criminal amnesty proposed by the Ministry of Justice. The Association's President, Joana Qeleshi, states that the amnesty should not be seen as a violation of justice or as unpunished favoritism.

The statement states that this measure aims to restore the proportionality of punishment, reduce prison overcrowding, and respect the international obligations of the Albanian state.

It is further added that the Ministry of Justice's acceptance of the problems of the judicial system and the severity of security measures and punishment measures is a positive step, which should be accompanied by binding legal measures for the judiciary.

It is also announced that the Albanian Criminal Lawyers Association will soon present concrete proposals to improve criminal procedural and criminal legislation in this regard.

Full statement:

The Albanian Criminal Lawyers Association welcomes the amnesty proposed by the Ministry of Justice, supporting its swift approval!

Today, Albania is faced with a high number of convicted and detained persons, including for criminal offenses with low social risk, while the sentences given are often significantly harsher compared to the practices of European countries. The chronic overcrowding of prisons constitutes a serious problem, which has led and risks leading to violations of Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which prohibits inhuman and degrading treatment.

In this context, the Association emphasizes that amnesty should not be seen as a violation of justice or as unpunished favoritism, but as a corrective and humanizing measure, aimed at restoring the proportionality of punishment, reducing prison overcrowding and respecting the international obligations of the Albanian state.

A modern and European criminal policy requires a balance between the need for punishment and respect for human dignity, rehabilitation and social reintegration. In this spirit, the Albanian Criminal Lawyers Association urges institutions to treat every amnesty initiative with seriousness, transparency and on the basis of the principles of justice, humanism and the rule of law!

The Ministry of Justice's acknowledgement of the problems of the judicial system and the severity of security measures and punishment measures is a positive step, which should be accompanied by binding legal measures for the judiciary. The Albanian Criminal Lawyers Association will soon present concrete proposals for improving criminal procedural and penal legislation in this regard.

We hope that the amnesty will be a positive first step towards treating citizens in conflict with the law with dignity and justice!

The Minister of Justice, Besfort Lamallari, announced yesterday the Albanian Government's initiative for a criminal amnesty. The Minister said that the amnesty paves the way for 380 people to benefit from immediate release and about 900 others to have their sentences reduced, thus reducing the prison population by almost 7%.

Lamallari emphasizes that this amnesty is part of a modern penal policy, aimed at rehabilitation, reducing prison overcrowding and strengthening long-term security. /CNA