Following a sequence of recent court verdicts releasing or lowering the sentence of notorious criminals, the Constutional Court has repealed the lifetime sentence of Aldo Bare, the former leader of the Gang of Lushnja.
According to sources at the Constitutional Court, the reason of the repeal are a number of procedural errors made in the investigation and conviction of Bare. The former gang leader is accused of a series of crimes, including several premeditated murders and leading a criminal organization.
Bare was arrested in Turkey in 2006 and extradited to Albania in November 2009.
In 2009 he was convicted by the Court of First Instance of Serious Crimes to lifelong sentence. In 2011, the Appeals Court decided to annul the verdict and send it back to the Court of First instance because of procedural violations.
The parties, however, turned to the High Court, which in turn decided to annul the decision of the Appeals Court and return the case to the Appeals Court. In 2012, the Appeals Court sentenced Bare to lifelong imprisonment.
Immediately after the verdict, Bare’s attorney appealed to the Constitutional Court, arguing that the High Court had violated art. 6 of the ECHR and art. 42 of the Constitution, guaranteeing a fair trial.
The Constitutional Court has now ordered that his case will be reassessed by the High Court.
