The Court of Tirana has sentenced to 15 years in prison Nevaldo Hajdaraj, the former policeman who murdered 25-year-old Klodian Rasha in December 2020. However, given that Hajdaraj agreed to an abbreviated trial, he will serve only 10 years.
The court dismissed Hajdaraj’s attorney’s request to change the charges from “first-degree murder” to “murder exceeding self-defense.”
Meanwhile, the prosecution had asked for 20 years for Hajdaraj.
The former policeman shot Rasha dead in the early hours of December 9, 2020.
Following the event, Albanian police alleged that “Klodian Rasha was outside during curfew hours and he was shot twice after refusing to obey orders issued by the police.” They also added that “[Rasha] ran away and pointed a hard object that looked like a firearm towards the police officer.”
Hajdaraj was arrested and accused of homicide committed in excess of those required for self-defense.
The Service for International Affairs and Complaints stated that the officer’s actions were in contradiction to standard procedures for the use of firearms.
Following Rasha’s death, Albanians took to the streets in Tirana and across several cities to protest the police shooting.
The Minister of Interior, Sandër Lleshaj, resigned after sustained calls for his dismissal during the protests.
