The Appeals Court rejected the request for an appeal by the eight students who were convicted for throwing an egg to Prime Minister Edi Rama’s car in November 2015, as a sign of protest against the higher education law. The Appeals Court stated that the students had not respected the time limits for requesting an appeal.
In March 2017, the Criminal Court of Tirana sentenced the students to two months in prison, which is commuted into 60 hours of community work. They were accused and convicted for “Assault because of office” and “Resisting the officers of the public order police.”
Prime Minister Rama failed to testify during the court sessions led by Judge Arben Micko.
The court’s decision was based on the following conclusions of the investigation:
– Police officers, who were at the scene, were not able to identify any of the students as the alleged author to have thrown the egg.
– The residue of a single egg was administered as material evidence but three students were accused of throwing eggs.
– Four police officers signed identical testimonies as part of the prosecution’s witnesses.
– Police searched students’ lodgings without a warrant and exercised violence, according to an expert’s report.
