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Veliaj trial/ GJKKO rejects request for 'live' sessions, debates between defense and prosecutors about glass cage and deadlines
2026-04-27 14:45:38 / POLITIKË
The court hearing against Tirana Mayor Erion Veliaj continued today at the Criminal Court of Appeal, amid strong debates over the transparency of the process and the conditions under which it was conducted.
During the hearing, Veliaj's request to the court was read, in which he requests that the hearings be broadcast live to the public. According to him, this will allow citizens to closely follow the progress of the judicial process.
However, cameras were not allowed in the courtroom this Monday, as one of the defendants, Elman Abule, did not consent to being filmed.
The head of SPAK, Altin Dumani, stated that the prosecution has no objection in principle to live broadcasting, but stressed that such a practice could undermine the investigative and judicial process. He underlined that in criminal cases, especially when witnesses or collaborators of justice are involved, live broadcasting is not allowed, adding that such a practice is not applied either in the countries of the region, in Europe or in federal courts in the USA. According to him, only limited film footage can be allowed, without exposing the witnesses.
During the session, there was also a retort between prosecutor Ols Dado and lawyer Plarent Ndreca. At one point, Dado asked the lawyer to wait for the prosecution to speak, while Dumani accused the defense of having been submitting repeated and artificial requests for two months with the aim of dragging out the judicial process.
In the end, the court rejected Veliaj's request for live broadcast of the hearings.
On the other hand, lawyer Plarent Ndreca raised concerns about the way anonymous reports are handled, citing the cases of Nesti Angoni and Nasta Pëllumbi. He also requested that Veliaj not be held in a glass cage during the trial, arguing that this violates equality in the process and citing the Constitutional Court as an example, where, according to him, there have been no such problems.
Ndreca added that the investigative file includes wiretaps that the defense did not hear directly, but only through the minutes, which according to him are interpretations. He requested that all investigative files be scanned and that SPAK clarify the way in which the reports were administered, whether through mail or email.
In response, prosecutor Ols Dado stated that keeping the defendant in the glass structure is not a problem, emphasizing that it is not a “cage,” but an environment that allows communication. He added that the conditions in the Special Court are very good.
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