Justice Minister Etilda Gjonaj has stated that the ministry and the government have no responsibility for the early release of life imprisoned prisoners such as Endrit Dokle and Lulzim Berisha.
“The government and I as a minister have taken some measures to not only punish the case, but also to prevent such cases. If I go back to the release of Endrit Dokle, I understand the public reaction, but the Ministry of Justice has no competence in the justice system with the reform of justice,” Etilda Gjonaj said.
The Minister said she has taken measures to punish law-breaking officials in the following cases:
“An order for the whole Probation Service; as of today they have no right to bring the report to court for convicts over 15 years without first being approved by the Directorates-General and the Ministry of Justice.”
In another television studio yesterday evening, Gjonaj’s statements were responded to by PD Secretary General Gazment Bardhi, who said that in many cases these prisoners were guaranteed by the Rama government and public administration:
“There is a tendency, at least in the last year, to release from prison early or reduce the sentences of those who have been sentenced to life in prison and who have been members of the most infamous gangs in the country […] Rama uses them in the elections, let’s not act like we don’t know now. These are the individuals who have threatened voters from prison in past elections today are out of prison to campaign for the PS.”
In the past three years, high-risk gang members convicted of murders, drug trafficking and being members of criminal organisations have been released.
