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Korça lawyers boycott after judge's murder/ Call for security and reflection on the justice system

2025-10-08 09:11:00, Aktualitet CNA

Korça lawyers boycott after judge's murder/ Call for security and

The serious incident that occurred in the premises of the Court of Appeal, where Judge Astrit Kalaja lost his life, has deeply shocked the justice system and public opinion. The President of the Korça Bar Association, Nevzat Tarelli, describes this as an unprecedented and extremely disturbing act, which occurred in a place that symbolizes law and order. He expresses deep regret for the loss of the judge and expresses solidarity with his family, friends and colleagues, considering this event as a serious blow to the institutions of justice as a whole.

Korça lawyers boycott after judge's murder/ Call for security and

" First, I take this opportunity to strongly condemn the event that occurred in the premises of the Court of Appeal, where one of the judges, the late Astrit Kalaja, was executed in the line of duty. I take this opportunity to express my most sincere condolences to his family, all his friends and well-wishers, but also to his colleagues, who have undoubtedly suffered an extraordinary shock. I must say that this event is truly shocking for everyone, especially since it occurred inside the building of the Court of Appeal and, moreover, during the delivery of a judicial decision. But we are already facing this fact."

The Korça Bar Association, in coordination with the National Bar Association of Albania, has decided to boycott court proceedings on October 9 and 10. This decision comes as a form of protest and solidarity with the late judge, but also as a call for increased security measures in the country's courts. The lawyers demand that the responsible institutions intervene urgently to guarantee the protection of all actors in the system, from judges and prosecutors, to lawyers, experts and psychologists who face dangers every day in courtrooms.

" What I want to emphasize is that we, as a Local Chamber, in full agreement with the National Chamber of Advocates, have received notification of the decision of the Steering Committee of the National Chamber of Advocates of Albania, which decided to boycott court proceedings on October 9 and 10, to express on the one hand solidarity with the pain of the family and colleagues of the deceased judge, and on the other hand to express our protest and to request awareness of all state institutions, the public and institutions that deal directly with justice, the High Judicial Council, the High Prosecutorial Council, the High Inspectorate of Justice, but also the entire state as a whole, to significantly increase security measures in Albanian courts. This must be done not only for judges, but for all subjects and actors of justice, including prosecutors, lawyers, as well as experts and psychologists, who assist in court proceedings and often become themselves subjects of physical or verbal violence ."

Korça lawyers boycott after judge's murder/ Call for security and

According to the Chamber of Advocates, this event is the result of a deteriorating situation that has long affected the judicial system. The degradation of public trust, numerous delays in processes, lack of efficiency and attacks on justice institutions have created a climate of distrust and tension, which in extreme cases can lead to acts of violence. This tragedy, according to Tarelli, should serve as an alarm for institutions to review the functioning of the system and improve the organization of work so that justice is delivered in a timely manner and with dignity.

"Such events have had a dynamic and a history, this is not the first episode, despite the fact that yesterday's event is the climax. Until now, it was not perceived that a judge would be murdered in the workplace, but there has been a trend related to the overall climate towards the judiciary, which, in my opinion, due to the degradation of the judicial system itself on the one hand and the continuous attacks, deserved and undeserved, by various actors, including state actors and Albanian society, has placed the position of the judge in a denigrating position for a long time. On the other hand, the justice reform has brought about a long delay in judicial processes, often for years, which has also affected the public's perception, irritation and fatigue towards the justice system. I think that this case should serve as an alarm for all relevant institutions, whether to fill vacancies in all judicial institutions, in all courts of different levels in Albania, for to provide a solution to the backlog of files, as this situation may have influenced the violent reaction of certain individuals. I do not know the case, I do not know the details and the reasons, but from what has been discussed, the prolongation of the processes undoubtedly brings, among other things, such events."

Tarelli underlines that the security of justice representatives should not only be guaranteed within court buildings, but also in their daily lives. Respect and authority towards judges should be restored, through strengthening their professionalism, ethics and independence. Only in this way, according to him, can a system be created that produces real justice and not delayed decisions that lose meaning. The Korça Bar Association appeals for deep institutional and social reflection. The announced boycott aims to serve as a form of awareness for everyone, that crimes and violence can never be the answer to injustices, and that strengthening the justice system is the only path to a fairer society.

" I sincerely hope that this event will serve as a reference point and a turning point for all actors and for all those who have the power to regulate the justice system. It is a very serious event and should alert all state institutions, but the entire society should also be sensitized. It is not the gunshots, it is not the murders that can produce justice. But this event should alert all institutions. The accountability of the courts must be increased, the accountability of prosecutors must be increased, the accountability of lawyers in judicial processes, fairness and citizenship must be increased, but state institutions must also be forced to take all measures to organize the work so that justice is delivered on time and real justice is delivered. Because justice that is delivered after 30 years is no longer needed by anyone. People who expect justice in a timely manner, if they do not receive it, no longer have faith in justice. In this sense, I think that this event should bring and certainly will bring a fundamental change in the conception of justice and in taking organizational measures for the proper functioning of the judicial system. It is not just about security inside the buildings. But I go further, the security of a judge is not only in the workplace. The security of a judge must also be in public. The judge must be respected, must be respected by everyone, even when we do not agree with his decisions. We must increase the authority of the judge, and in my opinion this is achieved through his professionalism and ethics, through strengthening independence and creating working conditions, as well as through standards that must be at a high level to guarantee true justice. This is what needs to be done, in my opinion. It is not enough to place ten more police officers in the courts, if judges, prosecutors and lawyers will continue to be unsafe. It is quite normal that all these subjects are people who also have a life outside the buildings of justice. Therefore, I think it is very important to create normal working conditions and respect the status of judges, prosecutors and lawyers. This is very important "It is important and requires the awareness of the entire society, not only of the actors. We as the Chamber of Advocates, in respect of the pain, but also in reflection of it and as a form of awareness, are organizing the boycott on the days mentioned, with the aim of serving to alert the institutions, but also to raise awareness of society for the proper functioning of the justice system."

The serious event that took the life of Judge Astrit Kalaja has shocked not only the justice system, but also the entire public opinion, highlighting the urgent need for reflection and action. The Korça Bar Association, in cooperation with the National Bar Association, has chosen to boycott court proceedings on October 9 and 10 as a way to express solidarity with the family and colleagues of the deceased judge, but also to send a strong signal of alarm to state institutions. The tragic event should serve as a turning point for all actors in the justice system and for Albanian society as a whole. Because justice cannot be exercised in fear, and the security of those who defend the law is the foundation for the functioning of the state./ CNA