Representatives of the European Union and the United States have condemned what they describe as an orchestrated disinformation campaign against the vetting process.
The official Twitter page of EU Near, the Commission’s Directorate General for enlargement, criticized the “allegations + disinformation directed against the vetting bodies and IMO,” in Albania.
🇦🇱#Albania:Recent dissemination of unfounded allegations+disinformation directed against the vetting bodies & IMO is unacceptable. This orchestrated campaign aims to create mistrust&undermine #justicereform. 🇪🇺#EU strongly supports IMO International Observers&the vetting process. pic.twitter.com/fYq7tYdLn7
— EU NEAR🇪🇺 (@eu_near) April 7, 2022
Shortly after, the Twitter page of the US Embassy in Tirana shared the statement, adding: “US fully agrees with the EU.”
The statement comes as the Special Appeals Chamber (KPA) reviews the confirmation of Tirana Prosecutor Elizabeta Imeraj to her post by the Independent Qualification Commission (KPK) in June 2021.
KPK’s decision to confirm Imeraj was appealed by the International Monitoring Operation (IMO), with the support of the United States which considered her case a test to justice reform in Albania.
As Imeraj defends herself before the KPA, Albanian media have cast doubts on IMO observer Theo Jacobs and the evidence he had used to recommend that Imeraj’s confirmation be appealed.
The US and EU have been the staunchest supporters of Albania’s justice reform, a process that began in 2016 to vet all judges and prosecutors in the country.
