Tirana Mayor Erion Veliaj has reacted again on social media.
Veliaj shared the speech of Italian MEP Giorgio Gori, who requested explanations regarding the prolonged detention of the Mayor of Tirana.
Gori says he will send the issue to the European Parliament.
Erion Veliaj's reaction:
Italian MEP Giorgio Gori is demanding explanations regarding the case of the prolonged detention of Tirana Mayor Erion Veliaj.
In a statement to the newspaper "Domani", he stated that the Veliaj case "will also be raised in the European Parliament" and that he has officially requested clarification from the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs, Kaja Kallas.
"I do not have sufficient information to judge Veliaj's innocence or guilt, but I tend to support the principle of the presumption of innocence and, in this case, the minimum guarantees are missing. In this case, not even a hearing was held. The case is part of the problem of pre-trial detention, which seems to me quite pathological in Albania. A large part of the prison population is kept behind bars without having a final sentence. This is an issue that should be raised during the negotiations for Albania's membership in the EU, which, however, are progressing positively. Of course, there has been progress. But people under investigation cannot be kept in prison. The Veliaj case will also be raised in the European Parliament."