"Pre-trial detention, a plague in Albania"/ Rama: We will intervene without wasting time

2026-02-08 10:20:00, Aktualitet CNA

"Pre-trial detention, a plague in Albania"/ Rama: We will intervene

Prime Minister Edi Rama declared that the government has taken an important step in reforming criminal justice with the approval of the draft law on criminal amnesty, describing it as a clear political choice to orient justice towards offenses that pose a real danger to society.

According to Rama, the law provides for the immediate release of 447 people from prisons, reduction of sentences for hundreds of others, amnesty from alternative probation measures, and the cessation of criminal prosecution for minor criminal offenses.

The Prime Minister emphasized that the amnesty does not include any serious criminal offense, excluding crimes against life, violence, corruption and organized crime. According to him, the law has clear limits and aims to avoid the disproportionate use of criminal punishment.

Rama stated that this decision will also have positive side effects, such as reducing overcrowding in prisons, reducing costs, and increasing investments to improve living conditions in penitentiary institutions.

Speaking about pre-trial detention, the Prime Minister described it as “a scourge in Albania”, also highlighted by the Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture. He said that the government is determined to intervene with other concrete measures to address this problem, in cooperation with important European partners and without wasting time.

"Another decision that I believe is worth highlighting is the approval of the draft law on criminal amnesty. An act with a direct impact on the functioning of our criminal justice system, but also on the spirit of this justice."

And this project includes the immediate release of 447 people from prisons, reduction of sentences for hundreds of other people, amnesty from alternative probation measures, and the cessation of criminal prosecution for minor criminal offenses.

It is a decision that represents, once again, a clear political choice. To direct justice towards acts that pose a real danger to society and to avoid the disproportionate use of repressive state force, through criminal punishment for cases that do not justify the use of force.

This will of course then bring its own side effect, but very important, including reducing overcrowding in prisons, reducing costs, but also increasing investments to increase the quality of life in our penitentiary institutions.

The law is clear. It has well-defined boundaries. It does not include any serious criminal offenses, crimes against life, violence, corruption, organized crime are excluded from the amnesty.

And in the meantime, it is a concrete step that will be followed by others in relation to the totally misused and abused idea of ??detention.

Paraburgimi është një plagë në Shqipëri. Një plagë e evidentuar më së miri dhe më së qarti nga Komiteti për parandalimin e torturës i Këshillit të Europës. Një plagë me të cilën përballet çdo ditë shoqëria dhe ne jemi të vendosur që do të ndërhyjmë për ta shëruar këtë plagë me masa të tjera me atë që e kam quajtur reflektim i madh dhe për të cilin po punojmë me një sërë partneresh shumë të rëndësishëm europian për të bërë ndërhyrjet e duhura dhe pa humbur shumë kohë”, theksoi Rama./ CNA