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2026-09-30 13:26:00Fokus SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
Edi Rama

Although fully aware of the unjust arrests and repression of the new justice bodies, Prime Minister Edi Rama today raised concerns about the high level of pre-trial detention in Albania. During the presentation of the amendments to the Criminal Procedure Code, he said that the use of the measure "prison arrest" has reached outrageous levels, which are miles away from European standards. 

Rama referred to Council of Europe data, according to which, on January 31, 2025, 62% of people in Albanian prisons were in pre-trial detention, that is, without a final sentence. 

"The European average was 26%. Albania was more than twice as bad compared to the rest of Europe," Rama declared.

According to the data he cited, the difference is also large with countries in the region. Serbia results in about 21.5% of the prison population being held in pre-trial detention, while North Macedonia has 14.3%. 

The Prime Minister also made a comparison with Russia, stating that there about 30% of the prison population is in pre-trial detention. The latest data from the World Prison Brief gives a level for Russia of 30.1% in May 2026, compared to 62% registered in Albania by the Council of Europe in January 2025. 

"There, in the homeland of repression, where detention is usually decided with a phone call, detainees are 30% of the prison population. So, not even half of Albania, which is negotiating membership in the European Union," Rama said. 

But the strongest figures presented by the prime minister relate to the duration of detention.

According to him, in general jurisdiction a person spends an average of 253 days in detention, or more than eight months. While for cases of special courts, which includes the GJKKO, the average is over 616 days, or more than a year and eight months. The figure of 616 days was previously publicly referred to in parliamentary discussions on personal security measures. 

Rama described this duration as a figure "unimaginable for Europe", arguing that detention, which should be used as a measure of last resort, has become a central element of the Albanian criminal process.

According to him, the amendments to the Criminal Procedure Code should aim to limit the use of "prison arrest" and increase alternative measures, while simultaneously preserving the functioning of the investigation and criminal process.

The Council of Europe has also repeatedly raised concerns about the disproportionate use of pre-trial detention in Albania and has called for wider use of alternative measures.

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