Execution of judge in courtroom/ GJKKO: Criminal act that threatens the independence of the judiciary

2025-10-06 19:52:00, Aktualitet CNA

Execution of judge in courtroom/ GJKKO: Criminal act that threatens the

The Special Court against Corruption and Organized Crime has reacted to the murder of Judge Astrit Kalaja while on duty.

The GJKKO states that the murder of the judge is a serious blow to the entire judicial system and to Albanian society. It also emphasizes that this tragic event is an alarm for the security situation in which magistrates exercise their duties in Albania.

Further, the GJKKO adds that this criminal act is a serious threat to the independence of the judiciary, the integrity of the magistrate's function and citizens' trust in the rule of law.

GJKKO's reaction:

The judicial body of the Special Court of First Instance for Corruption and Organized Crime expresses with deep pain and indignation its reaction to the tragic event that occurred today, where the judge of the Court of Appeal, Mr. Astrit Kalaja, lost his life violently.

In these difficult moments, we express our most sincere condolences and solidarity with the family, relatives and colleagues of Judge Kalaja. The loss of a representative of justice in such a way is a heavy blow to the entire judicial system and to Albanian society as a whole.

Today's event is an alarm for the security situation in which magistrates in the Republic of Albania exercise their functions. Judges are pillars of the justice system and guarantors of the rule of law, therefore their personal security is not only an institutional obligation, but a necessity for the normal functioning of the democratic system and the rule of law.

This criminal act is a serious threat to the independence of the judiciary, the integrity of the magistrate's function and citizens' trust in the rule of law. No one who shoulder the responsibility of ensuring the implementation of the law should feel unprotected./CNA